This Cheeky Baby is Turning One

Of late, he's making me laugh so much it's crazy how much fun we have. I should enjoy while this last, Mummy Mel said by the time they are three or four years old, daddies are their heroes and mummies are boring. Ok, I added the boring part coz I'm insecure. 

Love you my honey boo.

*back-to-panic-I-couldn't-sleep-last-night-mode*

Mummy Away

The mummy of this blog is in a hyperventilating mode now as there is six more days to her baby's first birthday party. She's unsure if she could pull off feeding almost 20 people, and mind you, 20 very fussy and spoilt people when it comes to food.

Whatever she said about going easy and simple on what was meant to be a Bengawan Solo cake, you can ignore it as she came across a fellow April mummy who is also a home baker and baked a few of the babies birthday cake. Baker Mum is charging almost the same price so why not? Afterall, her baby only turn one, once.

She will be back once she finished hyperventilating and survived the birthday party. Stay tuned.

三月十七

甜面。红鸡蛋。父母的祝福。

庙宇祈求，身体健康，快高长大。

充满欢乐的一天。

宝贝，你一岁了。

Keeping Busy

Strangely, I have an adrenalin rush today for being busy. 

I went to the market just before 7am, came back, washed the meat before DH left for work. Gave B his breakfast, let him play around while I mopped the house, bathed him and put him to nap. When he napped, I chopped up the ingredients for the chicken stew that we are all gonna have and threw them into the pot. When everything's cleaned up, B  got up, it's play time and then porridge time.

Mundane, boring. That's almost my everyday life. But today, there was a strange high, esp while I was mopping.

Sure I wished we had a helper to help with the chores and dishes, someone whom I can say "XX, can you cut up the vegetables and prepare B's porridge?". Or someone just to do the ever piling laundry.

But I don't. For now, keeping busy is the best way I can make myself feel useful. No more weekly meetings, random pull ups, quarter close, conf calls.

One gives you monetary rewards, while the other, quite frankly, nothing much but an important clean home with healthy, happy family.

The Prelude to Somersault

I managed to catch this on video. I hope it brings a smile to your face as it did to mine everytime I watch it.

Wet Market vs Supermarket

Before B came along, I had much time to be adventurous in the kitchen, but I never stock the house with food items because I don't cook everyday and when I do, the ingredients are not usually found in my fridge and we often made trips to the supermarket as and when I decide to cook. 

Shopping at the supermarket was good for me. They had ready cut fish, meat in a size that perfect for the two of us. I hated going to the wet market because I didn't know how to look out for what cut of meat I want, didn't know what to tell the butcher what I want, and quite frankly, I felt they were gonna cheat me just because I'm a noob, or even laugh at me.

But since B started solids, I had to buy a lot more food and a quick comparison between prices between wet market and supermarket had me gawking! Certain items can be 2-3x cheaper at the wet market. Moreover, the freshness of the produce is somewhat compromised. So I had to learn, and learn I did from the expert, my mum.

Now, I have my favourite butcher to go, who will throw in extras for me and round down the final amount. I have a favourite chicken stall whose owner gives me free chicken skin everytime I go- I've only asked from him once! (Fried chicken skin, truffle salt and paprika- killer combi with beer! Watch the cholesterol though). The veg guys throw in free spring onions or coriander. I am so sold. Freebies anytime.

One day, I overheard this convo:

Butcher: 来，要什么？

Aunty (in 50s): 啊。。我要猪肉

Butcher: 这边全部都是猪肉。你要猪的什么肉？

It's probably not as funny now but when I was there listening to it, I had to stop myself from grinning. It was silly.

DH said I've become a true blue aunty. For the other day he heard me in a conversation with the fruit stall and reminded me something I said which I didn't even realise. Whatever, for now, I'm really enjoying my weekly marketing trips and taking in the colourful happenings.

Writer's Block

So much to write about but I don't know where to start. I figure this will probably be one of those random post.

Sometime back, I took B to Polliwogs at Vivo as it was near to DH office and we could all go home together. But not realising it was school holidays, it was a bad decision. The place was packed with kids and we stayed less than an hour. The following week, I decided to give it another try again since it was a school day, and 10am on a Monday morning should be fine. When we got there, there was a bunch of probably 3 year olds child care centre kids on excursion! But it was ok, they were in a private function room for awhile before entering the play area.

And on one weekend, we went cycling. Did I write about it already? Can't remember. But it was so much fun despite the sun. Luckily we remember sunblock for him.

For about a month or so, I was basking in pride whenever B goes up and down the sofa and bed. But one day he seemed to have forgotten how to get down! No matter how much I encouraged him, he wanted to be carried down. This carried on for about 2 days. Then I decided to bring him to the playground below my block and let him crawl and play arouNd. And just like that, in the midst of his fun and excitement, he remembered how to do it. Sometimes, it only takes us abit of fun to remember how to do certain things. I need to remind myself. Give him the fun childhood I had, and better it. It's about having fun and not competition.

Self reminder.

Ok end of random post. Cool de Sac later his afternoon!