Kakak's birthday

We don't celebrate the birthdays of our maids so far.  Somehow don't want to set up their expectations until it becomes a must to celebrate every time. Hubby and me don't make a big deal out of our own birthdays anyway.

Just that this round, we were at home (this was in Dec, another belated post), the kids wanted to do something and I had a voucher for cake.  Also I felt like eating cake hehe.

Sticking in the candles...

Oh hi, Mummy

Jane was surprised and pleased.

A cake for me?  Aww

It's her third year with us.  I know my life is definitely easier with her around!  She cooks and takes care of the kids well.  She can be rather strict with them but she does put in the effort.  And what does SE think of all her hard work?  Here:

Apparently the logo means this devil can make hearts break

First day of school

It's already the end of Jan and I'm posting this only now!  Chalk that up to the crazy hours I was working, plus the inconvenience of having to use my personal laptop for transferring pictures, plus having two bases now (home at weekends, condo at weekdays), plus forgetting to bring said laptop to said condo.

JE starts morning session this year and SE starts primary school in the afternoon session.  Our initial plan was to carpool for JE while SE goes with a transporter.  So I'd fetch 4 kids to school alternating with my sis while SIL fetches all home.  But I had misgivings about waking SE up before 6am in the morning... she'd be tired by the time she goes to school. The other option - leave her behind while I fetch the older kids, then double back to get her - would take me an extra 40mins and would be too taxing for me.

The final conclusion:  Rely on transporters for both JE and SE. Was very lucky to find one for JE at the last minute. And she had friends going together so she was happy about it.  (In hindsight, a transporter was a very good decision in light of my crazy work hours to come!)

The first morning:  JE woke up bright and early and got ready.  SE woke also and came out of the room hugging JE's doggy.  She was totally dejected at JE leaving without her.  Our maid Jane said that after I went downstairs with JE to wait for the transporter, SE lay down straight on the sofa hugging that doggy and sobbed for a long time.  Poor girl!

JE, SE and doggy

SE's turn came in the afternoon.  I'd taken the day off - luckily that was possible as it was still the calm before the storm at work.

My little girl, going to school already!

SE's friends from kindy signed up for the monthly food programme which was in a different section of the canteen.  Oh no... how would she cope when I'm not there?  She barely knows how to open wrappers of food, either not being able to get them open or tearing so forcefully that everything falls to the floor.  There were so many kids. She doesn't speak Mandarin or understand it.  For just this day... she was so happy to see me at recess time.

I have no friends, Mummy

From what I could see, SE spent the day waiting for school to finish.  Teachers trooped in and out of her class.  She didn't listen or look at them as she had no idea what they were saying.  Basically everything just washed over her.  I'm worried how this one would cope in a Chinese school.  

Time to go home, yay!

Science Centre again

The last couple of weeks I've been working till midnight, working overnight in the office (a first for me!), working from home till the wee hours of the morning, through the weekends.  And messages and emails come in ALL the time.  The big bosses work like that too.  It has been an exciting time for sure!  Should be ending very soon and I can get back to normal human time haha.

Another catch up post.  This was a trip we went on last month. :p  The science centre is always nice to visit - cheap and plenty of things for the kids to do.

We are actually taking a wefie!

Peace amidst the explosion

Check me out! All the me's!

Another optical kind of explosion

Hmm where was SE?  Probably with hubby who doesn't take photos much.

The best part this time, the water play area was open.  The kids had so much fun!  There are other things to mess around  with within this area.  Luckily the weather wasn't too hot.

We need to cross this thing

Swim swim

School Orientation

Time really flies... now my little SE is going into Standard 1.  It's good the school has an orientation session for the newcomers.  I'm not as anxious now as in JE's time haha.  I remember worrying about parking - this school is at a busy intersection with lots of big lorries going past, and I had a new car at the time.  Plus I've always been lousy at parking hehe.

Back to the orientation, it was a full-dress rehearsal.... (and this is obviously a backdated post! Happened end of Dec 2018)

Without my bag

With my bag

Luckily SE attended kindy near my parents’ place (unlike JR whose kindy was mear our house). Many of her classmates are in the same primary school.  And luckily again, her best friends are in the same class!  I’m pretty thrilled.  There are tons of students in this Dragon year and the odds were against them being classmates.

Clowning around

But this kid, she doesn't understand Chinese and didn't bother listening to any of the instructions.  It's going to be challenging time for sure. :(

With my new classmates

Went to the canteen after orientation and she wanted a Milo.

With Milo

Globalart

Happy new year to all!  I'm still having trouble thinking it's 2019 already!  I'm behind in posting, will catch up bit by bit.  It doesn't help that IT security at my company is very tight and my laptop can't be connected to my phone for pictures.  Plus I don't have privacy any more at the office to do non-work stuff heh.  Luckily there happens to be another laptop I can use at home.


The girls started art classes recently.  I'd actually wanted drawing classes for them, but the only convenient place was this Globalart branch.  What they offer is colouring and some craft.  Both girls wanted to go though, so ok lah.  Not cheap at RM130 each a month for 4 lessons, but as long as they enjoy it.

Nice?

Let me start!