Kaya Making

We are the family who loves Kaya, that makes us one mile closer to Singapore, doesn't it. My children love it, my husband loves it, even I love it.

So....after constantly consuming two 500ml kaya bottles per week, I am brooding to "home-make". It is surely healthier, more economic....and, if I am lucky, maybe taster!

I can almost imagine the praises from my children flooring to me, "Wow, mummy, you made it!"

First step, Google, "Kaya making", easy-busy-lemon squeeze.

this is one I decided to use http://www.makantime.com/kaya.htm

Second step, find a day when baby sleeps longer, get all ingredients, eggs, sugar and coconut milk.

Then, I followed the receipt, which I am good at.:)

After an hour of no-sweet labor, my two cans of "home made" Kaya was "proudly" produced...except... the color was bit funny, and jam was a bit cuddled... but it does taste like Kaya, I assure you.

The next day, I shyly offered my kaya to my children.

"What is this? Mum?" with the ascending tone, grammatically correct though.

"It is Kaya, I made it!" I spoke loudly

"It doesn't look like Kaya."

"But it tastes like one. Try it."

"Yiiiii, No thanks."

Moment later, my husband entered into kitchen. I kept quiet, but he discovered the kaya bottle.

"What is ?" He asked

"Kaya, I made it." I said quickly, much lower volume this time.

"Enmmm, interesting." He took the jam, spreading on his bread, with some difficulties, of course. Then he had a bite.

"Ennmmmmm, delicious." He exclaimed, I know it, as he always does.

Moment later, I returned kitchen, to my horror, my home made kaya was half gone.

"Oh, dear, you don't have to eat that much to show me that you love me." I was really moved.

"But, I really like it!" My dear husband.

The next project, how to make kaya, which is not only taste like one, but looks like one too.!

"Quiet" Game

If you ever drive four noisy children in car, you have to mediate the heated arguments, which often intensify into “war”, while keeping eyes on the traffic and drive according to rules; you will appreciate my following piece of advice.

For years, I am dreadful to take long drive with children, simply because they make too much noise in the car. For my sanity and safety of all, I only drive maximum two at a time.

Yesterday, my husband promised children to bring them to Night Safari, A kind-hearted Daddy as he is; he makes a lot of promises. I was happily planning a quiet night all by myself. Maybe a book, a cup in hand and relaxing in quietness that would be so COOL.

“Please Mummy, come with us, how can I leave you at home ALONE.” Stephen begged me.

The others also joined him, “Please Mummy, it will not be fun without you.”

Wow, suddenly, I became important! Quite flattered, I agreed to go with them. From home to Night Safari is a half-hour drive. As soon as we stepped into the car, I started to regret, for the unbearable noise started too.

“Everyone listen.” My husband called out, “If you guys can keep quiet for two minutes, you will get two dollars each.”

Four of them immediately agreed. “Now start” I kept the watching. Oh, how nice is the quietness.

“Time up” I announced.

“Wow, that was easy.” Children shouted.

“Ok, want to get higher prize? If you can keep five minutes quiet, you all will get a scope Ben & Jerry icecream.” My husband added.

“Ok” They were all for it.

Quiet again, not single sound, except Stephen’s a few pretending cough.

Five minutes passed like bliss.

“Great children, you have done a great job. So you ARE ABLE to keep quiet. Now if you are willing to keep quiet for 10 minutes, you will win a tram ride at the zoo.”

“Sure”, “No problem”, “Let’s do it.”

It seemed easier than they thought. This time no one made any sound, we were all enjoying the background music and cool night ride. By the ten minutes were up, we almost arrived at the zoo.

“So children, who can tell me the meaning of this game?” my husband asked.

Paul first, “Daddy uses prize to trick us to keep quiet.”

“But it was not tricks, you were able and willing to keep quiet, weren’t you.”

Prisca said, “It seems faster reaching to the zoo when we are quiet.”

“That’s right, it is faster and smoother journey ,isn’t it?”

Later, children got their prize, ice-cream and tram ride. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that tram ride is free to members on weekday.

On the way home, my husband challenged them, “Now, who can keep all the way quiet wins a big prize.”

That was nicest half hour drive I ever had, we were able to see the sparking, beautifully decorated Christmas light on Orchard Road, while immersing in celestial music. I am sure children were enjoying too.

Happy Birthday, My Hubby

Yesterday was my husband's birthday.

Early in the morning, children already prepared all kinds of cards and presents.

Prisca drew a big birthday cake with 7 candles. She said "Daddy is seven years old."

Noah drew a serious of pictures, with some sweets wrapped in colorful tissue papers..

Paul did a "birthday decoration" in our bedroom.....

My husband took a day off, we headed off to the Bird park.

It was more like children's day!

At dinner, we went to M hotel for Tananyki buffet. I have been always a bit concern to bring all the children out for dinner. Sometimes, they fight over things or small matter, end up no one enjoys.

But Daddy's birthday proved to be different, children were quite behaved and the lady manager in Buffer was extremely thoughtful, she gave a lot of attention to children, that made a whole lot of difference.

"12 years birthday celebration together" my husbands said to me.

Thank God for our family and my husband!

School Holiday

Hahaha! School holiday is finally here. This time, we divide into two teams to really enjoy our holiday.

I will bring the oldest and the youngest ones to China for two weeks. Dear Hubby will take care the other two. It is time to test him "practical parental skills" =)

Stephen and Daddy went to McDonald "treat". When they came back, Stephen could not find his Winnie-the-Poor watch...he in fact doesn't need a watch for he could not read anyway. (I don't know why hubby buys watch for him). Anyway, now he is in a "sad" state.

Paul volunteered himself to go back the shops to look. Hubby went along, they didn't find the watch, but caught the heavy rain. "cats and dogs" literally...By the time they were back home, they both looked like chickens dropped in the pond.

"Why do you bother for such a watch" I nag.

Then I remembered one of my girlfriends said "the things lost that can be brought again are not really lost."

In reality, how hard to do so.

Happy Holiday, May God bless you all!

Good Husband

Good husband keeps his cool, when you are screaming hot; he may have his turn when you are cool;
Good husband takes children out to give you some time of your own;
Good husband plays with children, he likes what children like and and becomes one of them;
Good husband knows how to do things you don’t know, like repairing dashwashing, changing tyres, removing bugs from your computer, even through he doesn’t know how to change a diaper or make baby’s milk;
Good husband is kind to your friends and allows you to have a chat with them, alone and not jealous;
Good husband may not remember your birthday, or children’s birthday, but he doesn’t mind to be called “Fool”;
Good husband does not flatter your appearance, any more, but he praises for your hardworking;
Good husband maybe no longer romantic, but he is as stable as a rock.

Good husband is not born, he is because he loves you so.
husband and wife

Happy Father's Day

Wish All FATHERS HAPPY FATHER’S’ DAY.
History Of Father's Day

The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special. .
The origin of Father's Day is not clear. Some say that it began with a church service in West Virginia in 1908. Others say the first Father's Day ceremony was held in Vancouver, Washington.
Regardless of when the first true Father's Day occurred, the strongest promoter of the holiday was Mrs. Bruce John Dodd of Spokane, Washington. She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Moth Sonora wanted a special day to honour her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington State.
After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. In 1909, Mrs. Dodd approached her own minister and others in Spokane about having a church service dedicated to fathers on June 5, her father's birthday. That date was too soon for her minister to prepare the service, so he spoke a few weeks later on June 19th. From then on, the state of Washington celebrated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Children made special desserts, or visited their fathers if they lived apart.
In early times, wearing flowers was a traditional way of celebrating Father's Day. Mrs. Dodd favoured the red rose to honour a father still living, while a white flower honoured a deceased dad. J.H. Berringer, who also held Father's Day celebrations in Washington State as early as 1912, chose a white lilac as the Father's Day Flower.
States and organizations began lobbying Congress to declare an annual Father's Day. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson approved of this idea, but it was not until 1924 when President Calvin Coolidge made it a national event to "establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations." Since then, fathers had been honoured and recognized by their families throughout the country on the third Sunday in June.
In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day and put the official stamp on a celebration that was going on for almost half a century.

Quoted from: http://www.twilightbridge.com/hobbies/festivals/father/history.html

My Husband

I have five children, one girl and four boys, well, my husband is one of them. To be honest, he has many good points, only ONE shortcoming as far as I can see:- He doesn’t have sense of direction.

It happens this is also one of my shortcomings. When we were in Germany for our honeymoon, we decided to hire a car to tour almost a big half of Germany. It was wonderful experience, also, to me an embarrassed one, for I could not read map. My husband was driving and I was asked to a navigator, oh, how disastrous. I cannot figure out the map direction and our exact directions. So, in most frustration and disappointment, my husband told me “You are useless”. I still remembered it bitterly, though with much laughter and humor.

One of these days, we had some overseas friends visiting us in Singapore. They suggested to a water park called “Wild, Wild Wet”. We have not heard this place though we are locals, they got the information from Internet and “It looks very interesting for children”. Nowadays, foreigners do no know less than locals, thank to Internet. So we decided to meet up at “Wild, Wild Wet” at 1:00 pm.

“Honey, check out your map” I reminded my husband for I know that he is not only having this only ONE shortcoming, he is too confident to admit it as well.

We left our home at 12:00pm. You know you can go through the whole Singapore in half hour, so we were sure to be early. At first, it was fine, but soon after the high way, it didn’t seem right. My husband drove along a narrow, small road for a long time. Towards the end, he stopped and asked some one in petrol station, only found out we were in wrong directions. Well, after that was not too bad, we reached “Wild, Wild Wet” by half past two.

Luckily, our friends did not mind at all, for the “Wild, Wild Wet” was so much fun. Children became excited, my husband too, he asked: “Mummy, can you look after Stephen(our youngest son, who is not yet three yeas old), I want to play.” Before, I could answer, Stephen said, “No, I want to play too.”

Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter if everyone had fun in the end.