Close of a chapter

One of the reasons I’ve been unsettled recently is... I resigned from my job.  Oh the stress of looking for a new job, attending interviews, wondering at the outcome etc.  All this for only ONE application, mind you!  I can’t help it if things like this are a big deal to me hehe.  I have been with my current company for 7 years (5 years a previous round) after all and I like it there a lot.  Business hasn’t been good though.  The resulting problems and stress finally did it for me.

I was promoted all the way up a couple of years back, so I had the perks. And I am still thrilled now thinking back to my stint as the right-hand man of the MD and the head of the consulting team.  I will miss so many things.  In my next job I will be a nobody. I start next week.  What to do... bring it on!

Bye to my room

Busy

It has been a busy couple of months, I could barely breathe!  Besides gymrama regular/extra classes and preparations for the competition, we had to fit in a few other things into the weekends. 

SE's classmate had a birthday party.  JE got to go as well, she was thrilled. And mummy got to go find a birthday present, drive the girls to the venue and hang around waiting for it to end haha.

Happy birthday to Allysha (and not JE or SE)

It did look like a lot of fun. Someone took photos and sent them.

Let's see who can hang longer

Balance now, do not fall

Playing games

I got a mermaid tail in my cupcake, heh heh

Bet the birthday celebration didn't come cheap!

Another event was the wedding of my Malay colleague's son.  It would have been easier if I'd gone alone while the girls were at gymrama class.  But no, they insisted on going.  Luckily also as they  appreciated the ice-cream, cupcakes and cotton candy served as dessert.

Finished my cupcake

Next we will go and get another 

Also had to attend to things like going for a medical checkup, planning a school holiday trip, servicing the car, getting contractors to fix defects in our apartment, company events, taking a blood test, going to the dentist etc.  I am definitely one who prefers the quiet life!  Anyway have gotten over the worst of the busy period.  Phewww.

Gymrama grading

Gymrama grading time again!

Compared to the previous round, reporting in time was much later at noon and 1.30pm respectively for JE and SE.   Kakak did their hair and make-up again.

Take picture at home first

In full costume! Can recognise us?

The girls look very different from their normal selves when in full regalia!  We rented the costumes as usual.  Luckily found nice ones to fit.

The small girl

The big girl

( Ah please notice that hoop.  I didn't know before that you actually have to TAPE it to make it look nice.  So I was looking around for suitable tape, eventually getting round to the process of taping, then a layer of cellophane tape on top, then another.  Each process taking a very long time with multiple rework.  Quite pleased with the final result, heh. )

The girl cousins

JE had two events, hoop and ball.  Unfortunately she didn't do well this time.  5th place in hoop, last in ball.  :(  Previously she managed to get 2nd overall, this time definitely no placing at all.

Last in ball...

SE only had one event, the rope.  While she's in a group which really challenges the teachers... never mind that for now.  The results were called.  I was hoping, hoping she wouldn't get last place.  She wasn't last... nor second last... nor third...  And it turned out she was placed third and managed to stand on the podium. She was thrilled!

THIRD place, woo hoo!

Phew... heaving a sigh of relief that this is over.  There were extra classes for a whole month, so that was Saturday AND Sunday mornings of me having to sit through gymrama class.  And having the girls (especially JE) continually complaining they hate gymrama and wanting to quit.

Gymrama stretch

SE was such a bad student initially at gymrama.  She was always up to something else instead of following instructions. Partly I think it was to cover for things she couldn't do yet, like catch a ball, skip a rope, arch over backwards.

Lately though I see her doing various stretches outside class.  Managed to snap this picture of her doing some colouring on the floor:

I'm busy colouring

She still isn't good at gymrama but it looks like there is hope yet!

Stingy

JE got this marshmallow at school.  She opened it after dinner.

Jojo can I have some?

SE was keen to try it, JE wasn't keen to let her.  After I pressured her, she pinched a DOT off the marshmallow for the little sis.

Can I have some more?

After 5 times of me asking JE to give her MORE, SE ended up with this 'big' loot:

Mummy! Jo Ern naughty!

I was also tired of asking already. So SE had only those bits of marshmallow to eat.

SE's graduation

Compared to JE's graduation, SE's was a grand, grand affair.  Grand ballroom, formal wear, Chinese course meal, no kids allowed other than those graduating.  Apparently the whole affair was to "honour the children" - oh come on, these are little kiddos.  I was planning to skip it as I didn't agree with the whole concept, we would have to leave JE at home, I didn't need to be having dinner with a whole bunch of parents I didn't know.  Plus hubby said stuff the dress code, he'd be wearing a T-shirt to it.  The kids would have a performance which I thought would just be the concert one where I couldn't even get a decent picture.

Haha so much for all that.  The parents queued for the tickets the day it was sold. The next day, I went to ask SE's teachers whether it'd be all right to skip.  Luckily they convinced me that it was important and I went to buy tickets.

Turned out the kids had a different performance and costume.

A photo before leaving JE behind

The little poser!

It was grand all right.

Table setting

Inside the scroll, a message from my girl which made me tear up

(Although the teacher must have made everyone write the same thing!)

There were multiple performances by the 91 kids graduating - SE went up to the stage 4 times, including going up to the stage and collecting the scroll.  

My fav photo of SE for the night

SE was a trooper, smiled and smiled non-stop the whole night.

'

Cheese! And peace.

Waiting to go into the ballroom

The kids were kept somewhere else and were marched in and out at various portions of the night.  They didn't even have the course meal, only fried rice.  At times it felt like the kids were merely there to entertain the guests and justify the occasion.

Grand, huh?

Mummy and Su Ern

While I still don't agree with having it on such a big scale, it was well-organised and I had a good time. Hubby managed to find a jacket so did not stick out like a sore thumb.

We didn't wait for the family photo session and left about 10pm plus.  Imagine how long it would have taken for each family to fuss around and take a photo.  Asked a teacher to extract SE from the other room and went home.  To poor JE who cried when we got home.  (This one is pretty sensitive!)

Glad my family is back!