Found!

Good that we have this equipment called a video camera. It captured moments like this that makes you look back and smile.

I can't help but notice che-che was only 2+ and speaking in her gibblish manner. And then you tell yourself, "oh yah.... I used to wonder how she'd look like when she's 7. She looks almost the same as she was 4 years ago."

Mummy love you, Athena!

Haze

Woke up in the morning to have that burning smell choking my throat.

As a protector and an authoritarian, I told my kids "both of you can't play in the playground today" with protests from che-che and pretend cry from mei-mei. Not that they both have lung problems but you know with che-che's acute bronchitis I'm not playing with any chance.

After her Berries, che-che obediently left with me. She didn't protest but said with such positive mindset "I can play next week when no more haze." Ehh........... I hate to 'pour cold water' on her statement but haze can't go away that fast.

True enough, this report says it all.

BREAD

I haven't made bread for quite some time now, with me too occupied by the children in the afternoons and shagged out at the end of the day.

Decided to try my hand at a new recipe taken online. Shouldn't have wasted my time! But, I wouldn't know it if I didn't try right?

Yucks! KZ said the bread don't taste good (was so scared that I'll hammer her for her frank comments) as compared to the Alex Goh's recipes
I've been following. (a gf introduced to me his book and I decided to try out. I've never looked back since. - Ai yah! not like I've been baking every week)

Lesson learnt - be loyal to my Master Goh, asthestically-wise I can always try my hands again.

Photos :

成功 or 失败 ? 失败

Eclairs (again)

I suspect I must have put lesser of the filling.. coz' how can the recipe call for 1 portion of dough and 2 portions of fillings and glaze? Either that, or I'm simply stingy?! Whatever it is, I couldn't put more coz' it was oozing out.

I did eclairs again today, making the dough and pipe the 'cooled to room temperature' filling and glaze. It was so fast!! Next time I will separate out the workload over two days (unlike that Friday when I was totally exhausted)

This time round, mom was in my place and I let her try. Both mom and bro gave me the thumbs up I've never heard such positive remarks before, it's like mom can't help but keep talking about it. ?!?! So it goes to show this is the only thing I've made (so far) that is really nice and the rests are "I better say something nice to encourage my daughter". Hahaha!

Now I feel so .... super atas that I feel like making this for the Teachers Appreciation Lunch that is coming up in che-che's school next week. Nah! Think better not, I'm busy enough already.

Kimberly's 7!

The class were invited to K's birthday party.

A little thick-skinned on my part as I asked her mummy if I could bring Aricia along too. Of course the answer is yes lah! How to decline? I
bought another present for K on behalf of Aricia.

Children were excited as long as it's a party and we went off after the children finished their lunch.

Turned out, 29 invitations were given and only less than 15 made it to the party. S, che-che's good friend was there. Today, she finally smiled at me!!! Must buy 4D liao! I thought che-che speaks fast.. boy! S speaks so much faster than che-che! She's like a train blah bleh blah bleh about. Funny girl!

Didn't get to see many parents. Many of them simply left their children there and went off. Sad right? As for me, I'd be taking photos of everything so that it goes into their album and .... firstly > HERE!

The game master started the games, the children had fun. It was basically a homely affair where the game master/mistress is a relative of the birthday girl. So sweet! Such warm loving family.

When it came to the cake-cutting, Aricia had to insist it was "sing Happy Birthday Aricia." To her, she thinks it's her birthday when she sees a cake. We explained to her and then she exclaimed "sing Happy Birthday to che-che." Technically she was referring to Athena but we nodded our head and said "yes to che-che" (K's also a che-che what?!) What touched my heart was when K so bravely said a big Thank You to everyone, family etc... You know this is the first time we went to a birthday party without eating the cake. I'm surprised that the kids didn't want any cake. Maybe they're sick and tired of cakes.

I must charge a modelling fee for Aricia next time. People snapped photos of that girl. S and che-che were seen holding hands (and I finally met S's parents when they came for her). S asked if che-che would go for a sleepover one day, then she turned to ask me if che-che is allowed. Of course nothing is official until we do get a real invitation from her parents. During this party I've seen how much S can change. That girl's really funny! She rebels, she shouts and then when she asks for permission to take photo with the birthday girl - she curtsy-ed "May I take a photo with you." LOL! Bet you'll roll on the floor when you see that sudden transformation in her.

Photos :

Top row : S and che-che, K (birthday girl) and che-che

Musical chair

Food : the cutest thing were the cuppies and cookies. Apparently I heard it's the helper who baked them and they didn't have any cookie cutter so she cut the cookies in free hand and draw the eyes etc... So cute!

Passing the parcel

Teamwork game - where the children had to fix a puzzle. Che-che's group finished 1st. Well done!

The remaining 2 teams

Relay game

* some photos will be uploaded in their respective blogs

Time passes by ...

I bumped into a familiar face this morning at mom's place.

It was J, J's mummy.

Their family left for Perth, migrated over, in end 2007. And they are back for 3 months. Her children, the older boy was in Athena's class. And her youngest girl is now 4.

Time passes by so quickly, in a wink of an eye the children have all grown up and we have gone a little more brittle in our bones.

Okay! Come September must get the children together!!

Eclairs!

Finally did my eclair using recipe from this book. This book is my most treasured, it will be amongst all the books I have which will be passed down to my kids. Haha! My heirloom??

This is the most ley-chey's recipe. Must boil over every part - the dough, the pastry filling, the glaze. The whole kitchen's in a mess, normally I'd clean up the kitchen after my bakes but today... I filled KZ with one eclair to bribe her to help me clean the kitchen. I was so tired! But it's che-che's favourite so I might have to make them again.

Never mind that I promised che-che to help me, in the end I found that she was more of a nuisance than a help. She can't keep her hands still, while I'm doing something she messes up another then I have to clean up + scream at her. Argh! Kicked her out of the kitchen and asked her to wait for the eclairs. And I get an impatient girl who keeps bugging me. Argh!!!!

The dough, which I put in the mixer (thank goodness a little smarter today) after all the cooking over the stove
Piped out dough. Made them small but I don't have the right piping tip, will need to buy that correct one.
So かわいい!!
The pastry filling.
The girl snapped photos of herself while sitting on the table and watching me pipe in filling

This is taken by che-che. See her skills not bad huh? She's not sturdy in her hands only thus the blurry shots

Next time I'm not going to cut the sides. I'm going to pipe in from one hole. Guess it'll look neater then
Something's wrong with my glaze today. Duh! Not thick enough? Seems to have dripped to the sides, eeks! Must tweaked the recipe one day or .... chocolate sauce is the same as chocolate syrup right??
Anyway, I asked her to put the quinns on it and she gladly added so much.




I get the thumbs up from her and here she is licking the chocolates off her fingers.
My second batch which seems cuter in shape (like profiteroles) but I don't like the design on it. Hmm... next time can make Mickey Mouse head designs?? Siao eh...make own life difficult! I think it came out this way coz' I had to freeze these while I was baking the first batch + defrost awhile the dough changes shape

And the glaze seems more sticky and holds better

The outcome of my eclairs is far fetched from theirs in looks. But taste wise, it's good and the best thing is the filling is not that sweet and I get the nods from my "immuned to horrible taste bakes guinea pigs"
Thank you Pierre 师傅. Try out his book if you can, I can't remember if I manage to buy mine in Kinokuniya or online. This book is a must have for all chocolate fans. With 2 recipes attempts and nice taste each time, I'm gearing up for more tries on his other recipes (so blame me for my hyeractive children huh?)
The only setback on his book (I feel) is the very wordy sentences. I read until I go blur coz' I want it straight to the point kind. He's more lor-sor than me

Ps : Sis, I'll make one for the family another day

成功 or 失败? Definitely 成功!

cha-pa-lan

My cha-pa-lan blog entry. Haven't been able to update in quite a while, not that I'm not so enthusiastic in it - it's still my source of R&R. These days been busy in the day time to do anything, then can't seem to last later than 12pm in the night. Signs of ageing! Alot of stuffs hanging in the air, my side table has things stacked up which I need to do. Argh!! Worst than being an office worker!!

These days KZ helped to do up the kids meal. I feel so useless as a mother, I'm suppose to be the one preparing the meals for my kids with love and blah blah blah.... but it's been done by the helper.

Food : Just realised that che-che loves pumpkin now. Ehh......she changes her mind often so made full use of what she likes now and cook for her.

This lil' long hair girl is for che-che

Helicopter for mei-mei

On another day, two little dicky birds came by our house. One named Naughty Girl 1 (for che-che)

Another girl named Naughty Girl 2 (for mei-mei)

Che-che has to bring snacks everyday now. Not too sure if it's for all lower primary levels or just her level/class. Headache! KZ did this for her one day

Ah! This is what I tried my hands in one day, with parmesean cheese (che-che don't like cheese so trying ways to make her eat cheese). (what I did was I prepared everything except the frying part, asked KZ to do it. I'm not going to stand in the hot stove. I'm a tai-tai you know..... heehee!)

At first she didn't want to eat, after that she ate about 6-7 pieces. Mei-mei didn't touch it.

My kids are strange..........real strange. All kids love fried stuffs right? My kids don't really fancy fried stuffs, which is good/bad depending on how you see it. Eg. you get one kid wailing out loud "where's my food? I'm hungry" in the airplane when all children have been served their Children's Meal (and we can't order coz' she don't eat fried stuffs + western food). Good that they don't fancy coz' it's unhealthy food.

Books :
I was looking at ways to introduce science to the children. Of course there is this alternative with these, which I didn't buy coz' it's too expensive if I buy through Grade 6 + didn't want to have too much things in the house.
In the library, I found these : (if you're interested try to get hold of a copy in the library while I hang on tight to mine)

I haven't had the time to go through everything in the book, but I find this book sum up the following topics -
Forces and Motion, Sound and Light, Matter and Materials, Electricity and Magnets
This book is a much smaller book and with 700 experiments as compared to the above, you can imagine how small the words are. And how it can put you off reading. This book is basically for the higher grades but I think it's rather interesting to read and how you can experiment science with your child daily.
Give me a choice to choose between both books, I prefer the colourful, more pictures first book.