Lost Piglet

This actually warrants a post.  Background is, SE has recently been happily role-playing with this piglet.  It speaks in a squeaky high-pitched voice and is VERY attached to JE whom it calls 'Potato'.  It will do things for Potato and just wants to be with Potato all the time.  It will also keep saying to JE "Piglet likes Potato.  Potato like Piglet?" (it's a very clingy pig!).  And when JE steps out of the shower, this little pig is on the floor outside the bathroom waiting for her.  The way SE built up its character made it rather cute.  Its favourite is Potato but it is quite affectionate to me as well.

These last 2 weeks, we have been hunting high and low for this piglet.  It was last seen on my dining chair and then couldn't be found when it was time to drive to our apartment for the week.  I was confident it'd be easy to find as where could it go?  The kiddos were always playing with it.  But our maid Jane has been turning the house upside down and it seems to have vanished.  Jane is very good at hunting for lost things some more.  We're all racking our brains what could have happened to it.  We had no visitors that day and we didn't go out.

SE has dreamt of it twice already.  Little pig where are you?  

Photo from happier times with it....

Mmm hug piglet

Cards and Resolutions

Oh where did March go... it's a new month already.  Been so busy with hubby's recovery sessions, getting the kids ready for school, work.  Luckily I can still work from home for now.  Which saves a lot of time on preparation and travelling.  I can nip away from work a while to take care of things like grocery-shopping, laundry and ironing.  Our maid now stays with hubby during weekdays so I have to manage uniforms for the kids - whether the day calls for uniform, sportswear or school shirt.

Will just pop the cards the kids made me for my March birthday here...

From SE, a cute penguin holding a balloon with an apologetic comment "This was rushed". 

Penguin from SE

From JE, an avocado haha.

Avocado from JE

Wait, what's that?  "Avocado is fat like mama"??

Poor avocado

I did manage to finally lose some weight before hubby's surgery.  But after that, what with staying home with food for comfort and without much exercise, with CNY... well the tummy became rather 'padded' again.  

Now that the kids go off with the transporter before 7.30am, I have time for some exercise before starting work at 9am.  Current resolution:  To finally fit into my work pants once and for all.  And after that, to REMAIN so. 

How was school

First week of school done and dusted. We'd all been exhorting SE to make friends at her new school.  Cousin Erin told her, you must SMILE!  Amidst other 'helpful' advice haha.

Day1

Me: How was school?

SE: Meh

She talked to kids behind and in front of her but "sadly has no friend yet".

Ok lah at least she did talk to people. Would be worse if she'd clammed up.  

Cousin Erin's report to all: Su Ern DID NOT make a friend today

Days 2 and 3

How was school?  Meh.

Cousin Erin's report to all: Su Ern STILL did not make friends.  Su Ern has NO friends.

Day 4

How was school? Boring.  BUT.  Confirmed I have made a half friend.

All right!! Way to go SE! Hahaha.

Day5

How was school?  I have made a new QUARTER friend.

Seems promising so far!  Let's see what the next week brings.  Socialising is harder than usual with the Covid social distancing SOPs in place.  

Focusing on friends as we think SE would feel more settled in once she has people to talk to.

I have to wear this?

New school new beginning

After 2 years in a Chinese class for kindergarten (I remember being ecstatic at finally securing a place in this class!) and 3 years in a Chinese school, Mandarin is still an alien language to SE.  My parents had been valiantly trying to coach her.  She has been as valiantly trying to avoid studying. Somehow words as simple as 'four', 'nine' and 'divide' are at times beyond her.  Obviously continuing the same path isn't the ideal option.

So... switching her to a private school for standard 4.  Tasks I have accomplished:

 

1. Selected new school and paid deposit

2. Sorted out her school leaving certificate - rather sad that we are exiting early!

3. Paid fees for the year - my cashflow was tight due to hubby's operation

4. Sorted out the transporter

5. Bought uniforms

6. Sorted out books - collected some from cousin Erin and bought remaining ones

7. Attended orientation 

 

It totally helps that cousin Erin is in the same school haha. I'm a bit of the worrying type, relieved that we're all set now.

Hoping SE will blossom in this new environment. English will be the main medium of instruction while books besides Maths/Science/languages are in Bahasa. 

Blossom, my child, blossom

Feeding the pets

The girls still play with their soft toys.  And SE makes sure they get fed....

Have some egg salad, Piglet

Here Rat, have a bite

Here's some cake, Piglet

 I find it cute haha.

My birthday 2022

My first dilemma was.... to take leave or not.  Hubby wasn't leaving the house so I'd have to go out alone.  And by the time I take hubby for acupuncture and returned to the house (takes around 2 hours in total), I'd be too lazy to drive out again.  But this birthday would mark a change in the first digit of my age.  Better to have a day at least different from normal right?  Coincidentally, hubby decided to stop his acupuncture sessions for a week after his booster shot.  Woo hoo perfect timing!

SE decided to accompany me as she didn't me to be "a lonely lump" on my birthday.  Couldn't persuade JE to come along... oh well.

So 1 Utama it was (where else could I go? Haha) with my little companion.  

Me and SE

This is cute!

It was rather nice to have just SE along.  We bought various foods.  We hadn't been out to the mall for months.  For lunch she was keen to have hotpot noodle, but she said I should pick.  When I settled on Canton-i, she asked, "Mama sure will prefer Canton-i?" and didn't complain when I said yes.  Such a good girl. :) 

Ahmms

Hmm food wasn't as good as I expected. They didn't carry the mango dessert I'd been angling for any more either.  

After lunch we went over to the coffee event happening for the weekend.  Love this photo SE took of me!  If only I'd removed the mask dangling on my ear haha.

The birthday girl

Grabbed some Chinese food for dinner... 

With the fam

I had to go get my own cake, but cake I had....

Happy birthday to me!

Half a century on earth... indulge myself a bit.  And count my blessings.  Cheers to the next half!

Dining out routine

Settling down into our weekly dining out routine since our first in mid-Jan.

Ah Japanese cuisine

Hmm food is so-so only

Problem is our taman is not exactly a food paradise.  After just a few weeks, we are running out of options.  Did a repeat of that nice cafe we found nearby.

Seafood squid ink pasta again

I do like this last photo....

Berries pavlova

The kids pretty much only like Western or fast food and dining in nice cafes.