(2005/02) Feb/Mar 2005 Babies

Speaking of expenses for kid's education, really not cheap man. J's halfday childcare with school bus already set me off by $700 plus each month. If u annualise it, that's even more than my uni tuition fees per year!

pax,
Thanks for the birthday wishes
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Time really flies hor, soon it'll be Wen's birthday and before you know it, our boys will turn 3 yrs old and then Jo will be 1
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Anyway just to share a pic of the cupcakes that i got for Emma for a lunar birthday (some of you have seen it already lah)
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babygrace: Yummy nice, pretty looking cup cakes. The cup cakes are the in thing now for birthday for toddlers hor. They are really appealing to the eyes. Must taste good also. Happy Birthday to Emma.
 
precious, which part of singapore u stay at? i may be going to sentosa for a little while tmrw morning if the weather permits.. u want to join me? i would usually go to palawan beach and let en play for a while, then go to kopitiam for his lunch. then it's going home time liao for his nap. let me know if u want to join me.. may be ard 10-10.30am from vivocity sentosa express.

any other mummies free tmrw morning?
 
i wan to be home zzzz today...
we KO fr 10pm to 6am this morning... why am i still feeling so tired? i think i slept too much liao
 
jannie, wow, my heart so tempted to join you but my girl has a 3.30pm neuro doc. appmt tomorrow
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Same here, if let her go sentosa, then she will have along afternoon nap then I can't be on time for doc. appmt. Now, I am going to KKH for her rehab therapy. This month - many trips to KKH... Sigh. You took leave tmr, so nice.... u got msn??
 
precious one, my msn is [email protected]

no shopping centers for my monkey as there is nothing for him to play and he gets totally bored and grouchy...we meet up some other time lah. i go to the zoo quite often during the weekdays as well...can meet there one of the mornings.... or we can go IMM - the waterplay area....

btw, just in case u wonder why i so free... i actually sort of work from home. i usually go into office after my kids have taken their lunch. but go office also a couple of times per week max..... sometimes can 1-2 weeks no need to go office if not busy... :p
 
I dun need to earn what i spend leh hahah, that one can be covered by 'govt' help. I just need to give my parents allowance :)
Anyway, hubby exaggerate la.

I've been contemplating on renewing the zoo membership. it's so strange, the nearer i am the lesser i would want to go there.

bbgrace, oops i hvn't factored in transport $$. Anyway, the ccc cost is getting crazy, i saw one ccc those under the block kind and the half day is already 480! And kinderland just revised the fees 650 for half day. Madness!
Anyone considering opening a CCC? lucrative market!
 
actually, i rmbered that the ccc near my plc (void deck type) is abt $300 after subsidy for 1/2 day.. why so cheap ah? en's playgroup now is already $305 per mth for 2 hrs a day liao. i brought en downstairs to jalan jalan yesterday and saw the group playing the the playground. i let en go over and he had quite a fun time playing at the pg and bubbles with the rest of the children. when it's time to gather the kiddos, en actually sat with them for a while.

just last week, en brought back his worksheets and teacher's comment is that he is still not joining in their activities. but today, teacher told me en's mood was very good - he actually did everything he was told and joined in everything!! hmmm...... wondering if i should change him to a 1/2 day cc, or even full day for him to learn how to cooperate and join activities......
 
I also want Jannie's job
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I'll renew the zoo membership after emma turns one. Think she'll appreciate it better when she is older.

Qdee,
J's school bus is $90 per month and it's just a short 5 mins ride. No choice lor. i wish money grow on trees.
 
i know alot pple envy me :p

my hubby asked me to resign so that i can better handle en if i hv more energy from not working. i told him it's not going to help.....
 
hi mummies, I'm back home liao. So tired. Just got a call from MOM and the agency, my maid may not come this Sat. sob sob!

Ya Jannie, I also want your job.

Qdee & mummies, I can open a mini ccc in my house just for your 2 years old kids, but hor they only watch barney and play and play and play , how abt it? ok lar, i can cook for them but hor, please toilet train first hor.. Their main task is to play with my girl... hahahaha!!

Me just joined friends of the zoo on 30 Sep 07. So I'm now a member!! The membership now costs $150/- year... very ex hor, I recalled few yrs ago only like $90 only Hmmmmm...

Jannie, I will put you on my msn chat hor, dun turn me down ...pleasssssse
 
precious_one,
If you have the Toys R Us card, there's a 10% off the zoo membership. Quite a few of us took up the membership when our little ones turned 1 but i have not renewed mine after yet.
 
bbgrace, i think it depends on when we sign up leh. i signed up just b4 en turned 2.. that time was Ikea members get 10% off....
 
babygrace,

I have toy R Us card but jannie is right, they are still working with ikea now - but we discontinued our ikea card so long ago so was not entitled to the discount. They did not ask for the Toy R Us card that day. They actually took family pic to be printed on the membership card. So kiasu now hor, years back, no photo required so I bet they lose a lot of $ cos people pass the card around. I bet the animals are also more costly to maintain nowadays. hehe

Mummies

Talking about discount card, other than Toy R Us card, I also have kiddy's palace, so u wanna buy anything from these places, call me along.... but I bet most of you have these two cards already. Last time I had popular card but stopped subscription.I think will join again when my girl starts nursery school or kindergarten. I have a handful of discount cards for woman's purchase though...jewellery/boutique/vitamins...
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But now being a SAHM, no $ to purchase
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jannie,
my EA flat in bishan is 144 sq. metres and has 4 bedrooms. the kitchen, living & dining rms are also very spacious. it is 5mins walk away from mrt, interchange, junction 8, library. we paid $385K for it (valuation was $420K) because we signed the OTP in end-Feb, 1-2mths before the prices started spiralling crazily upwards.

qdee,
i know what you mean abt the "envy" issue, cause hubby gets infected with it sometimes. he likes to compare himself to some of his peers, and esp with those that are 2 income households. i told him how can he compare us to them? we are single income household so of course our income less than households with both working professionals lor, so of course they can afford pte housing, more exp car, exotic hols, huge investments & savings, etc....
 
lani, how old is the flat already? Is it needing a major overhaul or just minor reno is enough? i think i must work with hubby towards that liao.. since getting a 4 bedroom condo would be out of our means for a long long time given the current market situation...

precious, if u bring angel to the zoo at least once every alternate mth, u would be getting back the worth already. when i first signed up, i went like 2-3 times a mth. now is abt once a mth... mine expiring in Jan 08.. only a few mths to go....i would probably sign up again when wen is nearing 2.... i think she would be able to appreciate more as compared with 1 yr olds..
 
jan,u moving to bishan? or any area just as long as EA? your mom sold hers? if not u sold yours and moved to your mom's.
I was telling hub the next time i ever will move is after N finish pr sch! Too tired to pack and unpack but I do love moving house heee
Actually i do like EA just that too big for me to clean up./
 
qdee.. i did think abt moving into my mum's, but it is too far from my MIL to visit more regularly. so i should get somewhere either nearer to her, or convenient like just beside MRT like lani's. if my mum's going to stay with me long term, i should get a 4-bedroom lah. at most get a part time cleaner if my maid's too busy with the children to clean.
 
If wanna shift house to another estate, better shift before the kids start pri school, else got to wait till they finish pri sch.
 
I prefer EM to EA...I can't move just like that cos I bought my re-sale CCK 4 rm-flat at a high in Y2000, even with property market moving upwards now, I will still make a BIG loss. Actually hor, the cleaning part is the worst, my floor area about 110sqm already clean until I shack liao, wow EA or EM .... siong man!! Some months ago, I was also thinking of downsizing to AMK but the seller wants so much cash that I can't pay. So I'm still stuck at CCK!
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Now can only hope the new maid come quickly .... Help! Help!

Any move should take into consideration the child's primary school education, I believe a good (does not mean famous hor) primary school is important as it sets a basic foundation. Which secondary school to enter, it all depends on the child's capability. What's your view?
 
Hi Precious,
Can add me in ur MSN too: [email protected]
How come ur CCK 4-rm so big? My Sembawang 5-rm is abt same size 111sq m.
For schools, i think I'm such a lazy mother..for pri sch, the nearer the better. Hahaha! Actually I'm looking more into schools that build non-academic qualities as well (altho academic also important la). I was talking to a HOD from Wellington Pri Sch (sch is near my place)--they have cooking classes with inter-class partnering (older pri kids partner with the P1-2's), community service (younger kids make cards, older kids do performance for SGH patients). I like such an environment where academics is not everything--at least if Ashley can't study, she's still learnt something useful :p
 
Like OMG, I prefer one which is within walking distance to/from my place so that my girls don't have to travel or wake up too early and of course, i prefer one that has sufficient places without having me to volunteer bla bla. I hv shortlisted 2 schools for Q. Our registration is next yr, so it is too late for me to volunteer.
From what I see from this year's registration exercise, my 2nd choice,the one which is across from my block, no balloting (hurray!) but my 1st choice, which is situated in between my place and my parents' place need to ballot eventho it's a new school opening in 2008. I prefer this one over the other coz it's convenient for my gal to walk to my parents' place and to our place.

Sometimes I feel, it's the teachers that makes a difference. Coz from my personal experience when I had dedicated and fun teachers i did well for that year even for subjects i hated like math.
 
omg, my pleasure to include you in my msn, wah can talk instantly, super exciting!!

aiyo, mine RESALE mah older generation flat, i think now got 18 years old liao although I had it for 7 yrs. Older flat is good for space (i tell you hor, a lot of pple thot I got 5 rm flat also cos I bought the recess balcany) but the layout of the bedroom definitely not condo style hor. Bathroom big big, kitchen small small but bedrooms very big and square. My master room really big - put in king size bed, a closet, a drawer unit still got a lot of walking space, I can also put in my baby's cot....hahaha, to be exact, my floor area = 103 sqm and the balcany about 6 to 7 sqm. So total = about 110 sqm. But it does not come cheap, I paid $290K... sob sob!
 
jannie,
the flat is old, abt 20yrs old (most flats near MRT are the older ones), and as for the condition, definitely need major reno cause the current owner hardly did any reno when they bought it 10yrs ago. altho things like tiles, kitchen cabinets etc still in good condition, the look is not to my liking lah (very old-fashioned) so we will change.

for hubby and me our 1st priority when looking for a place was the 4-bedroom thingy, cause long-term we will definitely need that, if we have more kids or parents need to stay with us. same like you, we felt that for condos w/ 4 bedrooms, prices are too high and most of them VERY small, that's why we settled for HDB.
 
yeah, i agree with lani - my flat also walking distance to MRT - 3-4 mins...hehehe (old flat need major reno cos 1st generation design, though flat is clean but really not our type even if you close 2 eyes.....) somemore i am the lao da here, already buay tahan the design, how abt young ladies like you here ....
 
hmmm.. i think i got the cheapest CCC deal.. i only pay $220 for 1/2day w/o lunch (w lunch plus $30 so it's $250). next yr revised to $280 for 1/2day w or w/o lunch. that's per month... next yr, Matthew gg to Calvary Pandan Kindergarten liao.. it's 540 per 10 wk term, so that's abt the same as what i'm paying now...

qdee
ask u hor, does Qis have any problem when u switch her fr one CCC to another? i think i will go thru the crying phase again. *sigH*

omg
old gen 4rm flats r the size of new gen 5rm flat... basically everything is the same, 3 bdrms, 1 living rm, 1 kitchen. 5rm has an "additional" dining area. living area spilt into 2 parts, so new gen 5rm flat got smaller living area but with an dining area.. if u u/stand what i'm typing....

folic
this is for u... u can go and hui wei hui wei.. ST backpage today...

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pax, last time we used to say, old school got ghosts... u think the boutique hotel will be haunted??? heee

Q only changed ccc once. From Gingerbread to Kinderland. First day i sat with her for 1 hour in class, left her and din cry. But when i came to pick her up she was crying. Next day i sat wif her for 10-15 mins, she din cry. End of day crying again hahaha. 3rd day, stay in class 10 mins, no crying. end of day no crying. After that at home gave us problem. Every morning dun wanna wake up, dun wanna bath, dun wanna go school. Until she met her boyfriendsssss, then every day go school ok. Then when moved from N2 to K1, also cryng phase coz new teacher and kept changing teachers and she couldn't settle down. Then get one teacher who stayed long enuff then she ok. So basically Q hates change.
 
i've super tired lately.
today, almost quarrel wif hub coz i wanna go home straight and he wanna eat dinner outside...
I just wanna go home n sleep. So petty right?

in the end, as always, he said i go home straight and he picks up the gals.

so bad mood nowadays, mabbe coz i missed my Alexandra avocado juice which I had almost everyweek but stopped drinking 2 wks !!!
 
hey, talking about children hate changes. Just this am, I managed to find my pair of sun glasses which were missing for as long as my girl was born. Somehow suddenly I recalled where I kept it and found it today. I was so happy and I thot I could put it on while driving my girl to KKH in the afternoon as the weather is so hot. I put on the sun glasses as I entered the car, my girl cry out loud. I took it down, she stopped. As she usually sit at the backseat so that she could watch her barney CD, I secretly put it on again while driving, wah biang, she got super eyes, she cried out loud and kept calling mama mama, so I removed my sun glasses and let her look at me, she stopped crying. I put it on and off again for 2 more times and she repeated the same cry and stopped as soon as I removed it. Perhaps she has never see her mama put on sun glasses and she hated the change in me. I damn buay tahan, she really control me until I out of breath liao.
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qdee
i think M is somewhat like Qis. bo pian. got to take the crying lor.

precious
my advice to u? ignore her lah. jus let her cry. she'll quieten down eventually hopefully. of cos, that will distract u. i'm kind of used to my kids crying in the back while i'm driving, esp when i bring them out on my own. i hate it when my mil is with us bcos she will try to make Jo stop crying. i can't handle that bcos kids r smart, they would learn to expect somebody to entertain them while i drive. sian. btw i learn... i control the kids, not the other way round. my hubby gets bullied by my kids... :p
 
hi gals..

i am anti social today.. stayed in hotel room and ordered room service. cannot stand eating with yet another big group of pp.

pax, i will go and book a room for first nite haha :D

precious, personally, i think i am the sort that will give in if yx throws a big tantrum. I know fries and pax will prob disagree with my approach :p However, i really no energy to fight with her, so if it is nothing too bad, i will jus let her get her way.. she happy, i happy.

qdee, is there any PARTICULAR hormonal changes that's making u so petty? Like someone here that did not really make a formal announcement? ROFL!!!!

folic
 
precious,
Just like pax, i won't give in when it comes to protesting in car seats.
i don't sit with the kids in the back seat even when hubby is driving cos when there's someone in the backseat with them, bound to have lots of nonsense and demands. I also hate it when the maid is seated between them in the back seat cos Emma will cry and demand to be carried and Joshua will want the maid to hold his hand. When no one is around, the 2 kids amuse each other by making faces at each other.

But out of the car, i'm bullied by the kids. Like folic, i also got no energy to fight sometimes and will just give in.

<font color="0000ff">Yah man, someone didn't announce the good news here yet hor?</font> :p
 
oh oh oh oh.. u mean it's confirmed good news already???? oh boy oh boy.. so exciting!!!!! 1st mum here to have 3!!!!! can't wait for her to tell me her experience so that i will be frightened off and not habour anymore tots of no. 3!!!!!
 
precious.. my boo boo lah. 2 preggie mums as of now.... 3rd one may announce soon....abit "duh" today cos down with fever and sorethroat.. am so not looking fwd to my kids getting it... sigh......
 
omg
initially i only know abt fries. then fries and qdee talking about COULD have been in same month, then become 1 month apart thingy. that's why i conclude qdee also leh. don't know correct or not.
 



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