Genting one more time

We were in Genting again for the first trip of the year-end school holidays, the kids asked for it.

Well why not... the weather is cool and it's not far away.  The cartoons run 24 hours...

Now to find the cartoon channel

Food choices are never-ending and just a walk away...

Like my cute plate set?

Going to get nice dimsum!

Christmas deco is mostly already up.  Cute theme this time with Snoopy.

It's a Snoopy Xmas

There were Snoopy's all over.  But couldn't really take decent photos as they were all lit from the bottom.  SE brought along the toy squirrel hubby looked all over Europe for.

Squee my pet squirrel is on Snoopy!

Someone didn't feel like posing for photos...

No want take photo. Want hide behind Papa

We were there 2 nights, seemed pretty long.  But it was a relaxing break for sure.  The kids played in the bathtub every single day, ate junk food.and vegetated like this throughout:

Ahhh. Car-toooons

Finished Standard1!

This one survived a year in a Chinese school!  She still doesn't speak Mandarin well yet, but her class teacher told me she has improved.  This class teacher is a good one.  I think she just started working - she's hardworking and passionate about her job, and kind to the kids.  I'm happy JE got a smooth start in the relatively alien world of primary school and a Mandarin-speaking one at that. 

JE was in the top 10 in class and 89th in the school.  Not great (I was always at the top in MY time!) but guess she's doing all right.  Definitely thanks to Ah Mah and Ah Kong for their dedication to the kids.  Me and hubby are 'banana' Chinese and thus pretty useless in a Chinese environment.

And now that the school holidays has started, time for some rest and relaxation.  Plus a bit of study and preparation too of course.

Peace

Baking cookies

We still seldom bake.  Because the kids still don't eat much.  (And Mummy typically has to finish up all the baking results.)

Anyway, posting this since this is the first time SE is actually making cookies!  Usually she is a nuisance and has to be captured and removed from the scene.  Or she doesn't want to get her hands dirty.

These drop choc chip cookies are perfect, easy and there's no need to use her hands.

They had to fight over the batter container though.  Pulling it this way and that.

Take dough, and...

Put nicely on tray

Results were quite good!  Now I'm hoping they will eat more of the cookies.

The kids' garden

When JE gets to my parents' house in the morning, she goes over to this section:

How are you doing, my plant?

Each of the kids have their own plant.  JE will fill up water and water her plant, which is a Japanese rose.  And gets pretty excited when new buds form and flowers appear.

Poor SE wasn't happy with HER plant.  She burst into tears one day in the car.  The crying was loud and I got worried if there was something wrong.  Then she managed to blurt out, in between anguished sobs...

Ah mah made me plant ONION

I don't like Onion

WAaAAA

Hehehe.

The plant has since been changed to a Japanese rose as well.

But just for the record, here is a picture of the offending plant...

Yeah it IS ugly also

Sleepy

SE was still sleepy after her nap.  Lay down on the floor so I just snapped pictures.

Sleepy...

She is so sweet when she sleeps.

Sleep a while first

Then I planned to go back to my me-time, surfing the net...

Emm? Wake up time?

Well what to do.  Time to get her some afternoon snack.

First gymrama competition

It's the very first competition for the girls!  It's not compulsory for this simplest grade, but it does seem a key component of learning.  After all, what's the point of just doing the exercises without knowing how good you are at them.

Jane was a godsend.  First she did the hair (I'm quite amazed she is this good)...

Do nice hair

The smaller one is more of a challenge.  She was done first, after which she undid everything.  And fluttered around pretending to be a bumblebee while JE was being done up.  Finally got it done...

Want drink honey water, Papa

When we got to the hall, found that getting people to help with make-up would cost RM25 each.  Rather steep actually.  Since I'd already asked the person, decided to pay that for JE.

Do nice make-up

Decided that SE doesn't need paid help hehe.  She doesn't take gymrama at all seriously, she would be wearing glasses (later only I found out that all gymnasts remove eyeglasses during performance), and Jane does a decent job.  Only thing is we don't have the materials for the perfect job.

Do make-up on the cheap

All ready!

Ta-dahh!

Ta-dahh!

I'd have rated it VERY nerve-wracking to face a panel of judges like that!  So I think this whole gymrama thing is great from the point of having the girls do just that, and perform.

Watch me do my thing

All done!

All ready to start

The girls didn't win, but there were medals for all.  SE got second last in her junior group.  JE was near the bottom of her group, but it was about in the top third overall so that's not too bad.

Medals for all

Most importantly, they enjoyed themselves. And got to wear really nice clothes and make-up.  :)

Crown of hair

My maid Jane does the girls' hair.  Me, I can't tie anything except a simple ponytail hehe.  Maybe pigtails if you don't mind them not straight.

Recently she did this 'crown':

Nice?

Back view

For SE too:

Side view

Back view

SE's lasted all of 10 mins after it was finished.  She eagerly looked into the mirror.  Then complained it wasn't nice, she looked like a BOY.  And promptly pulled apart the whole thing.  This hairdo took quite a while to do.  Aisshhh.