Hot Hot Weather | Clean the Neighbourhood

Brayden 7Y2M5D

Bevlynn 2Y10M29D

Brayden loves to run with me in the evening. He is quite a runner, I would have been tired after 2 rounds but he could catch up with my pace. Bevlynn was very good with her speech, she'd can word out a lot of the sentences correctly but the words are not accurate; "ater (water), ombie (zombie), wimming (swimming), each (beach)" 

It was a very hot week, outside temperature could reach 35degC. It was due to the Elnino effect. I decided to bring the children for a dip in Clusia Cove to cool down. Hubs was having fever so he decided not to join us. When we arrived, the wind was strong and darks clouds were closing in. Weather was just nice and the children were playing in the sand. Then suddenly, Hubs turned up. I loved it when he still made it. It was the feeling like from the K-drama - the feeling like you never felt alone. The rain started drizzling. Without Hubs, it would have been a chaos handling two in the showers. Good to have him around to help. We had to run to the nearest shelter to grab a cab home. I was running with Bev in the stroller and Bray was with his Dad sharing a towel like a mini lion's dance. We all got wet after the 10 seconds sprint. Seems the rain was playing a trick on and started getting heavier as we ran. As soon as, we got on the cab, the rain stopped. ~.....~ 

On Sunday morning, we volunteered to clean the neighbourhood. Bev and Bray were very enthusiastic to find every single "treasure" (rubbish) hidden around the corners, in the grass, at the playground, under the trees. We got two full loads of plastic bags. Bevlynn even did not want to stop after an hour of search. 

I started watching "Queen of Tears" and realized sometimes when time is running short, you'd appreciate life with loved ones more. I remember how we were so innocent and life was easy in those university days. Now when we started working, we spend more of our time in the office. There is lesser time available to create precious memories. Hence, when I am home, I'd really love to spend more quality time focusing on my family. 

Bevlynn was watching the movie with me and out of a sudden shouted; "Mommy in TeeBee, Daddy in TeeBee, Daddy scold Mommy? Mommy cry, I scold Daddy"

I wonder where she sees the resemblance. 

The scene when "Daddy" was scolding "Mommy" in TV

Brayden's Best of Friends | Mommy is sick

Brayden 7Y1M29D

Bevlynn 2Y10M22D

Brayden went to a ex-preschool friend, Xiao Yi's 7th Birthday Party. The 4 close friends get to meet again, all going to different primary schools but still played together as close as they were in preschool. There were times when they would message each other to check on one another. 

Bevlynn was really nice to stay home with me. As I was having a bad migraine from the recent heat wave. She saw me on bed and took care of me; massaging, taking my temperature, talking softly and checking how I was doing, not disturbing my rest and took nap with me. She's amazingly caring for a 2+ year-old. Brayden on the other hand, crave attention and kept asking me to accompany him to play. 

I am a very proud mommy. I was speaking to one of the leadership trainer and I love it when topic of family came into the picture. I can stop talking about them, this is the prime moment of my life : have good career, a loving husband, 2 children at a nice fun age, having good health, financially stable. I would not trade for anything else at this moment. 

I was asking Brayden if there was really a time machine, at which time would be go to? He'd do not have an answer. I would go to a time when we were so happy - such as the time when we spend in Australia & Kuantan. There is no way we can really travel back in time but we do have to create more of such happy moments in life.  

Home sweet Home

Brayden 7Y1M21D

Bevlynn 2Y10M14D

It has been a few weeks after Kuantan trip and we are starting to miss the slow peaceful life around the past holiday. It had been hectic in the office, bosses were giving tough tasks at work and there was almost a close call of harassment at work. 

I lifted myself up and made sure I know my main direction in life is still aligned. I am pretty strong headed and no matter how hard and whatever circumstances are thrown at me, I will want to get there. 

Two colleagues were sharing about how their partners during lunch. And I reflected on mine; I was confident that my husband has given me pretty much what I needed in life; security, family, love, stability, fun, simplicity. We do have differences but we hardly argue; I do have my temper and emotional moments all because of women's' hormonal changes and I do recognize them when it happens. 

Every morning we take time to have we-time. Every weekend, we'll drink and sit together at a cafe. We'll go for facial and massages together. We'd escape to JB on certain weekdays for our unconventional dates. He treats me well and show his loving ways through his own love language. We go for short trips; Genting, KL, Kuantan, Perth... I do not have those K-drama love stories but I love it. 

We were at one of my best friend Jane's house warming. She upgraded from a HDB to a condo. It was in a nice neighbourhood. Hubs and I discussed and knew we could afford such a lifestyle too but we prefer to hold back. We would like to build our financial strengths and foundations first before we lead ourselves into such an upgrade. Afterall to us, it is more of a status upgrade but hardly anything more. At this moment, our neighbourhood gives so much convenience to our lives; the park nearby for the children and elderly, the opposite markets and eateries, the school & swimming pool nearby, my office nearby. All these save time and through time saved, we can do much more to enrich our lives. We can spend more time with family, my father-in-law can manage his daily walks and exercise around the neighbourhood. Brayden also has his childhood friends here whom he'd always play with. It's our HOME SWEET HOME!

TIME, FAMILY, HEALTH - these are priceless and a condo does not cater to these values at this moment. 

 

A Walk to Brayden old pre-school

Brayden 7Y1M14D

Bevlynn 2Y10M7D

I had a walked with Brayden and Bevlynn at night through the HDB blocks, towards the 7-eleven near Brayden's pre-school. I recalled so many good memories with him. We pushed the stroller down the shelter near the carpark gantry which leads to the next block. That block has a sparkle tots pre-school which we would always stop awhile to play the toy setup on the wall, putting the balls in the holes, hitting the kitchenware, drawing with chalk. And we would look in and say hello to the other little babies in the pre-school (the feeling like we were free and they were jailed on the inside). 

We would walk pass a drain that is always overflowing like a heavy waterfall whenever it rains. It is a drain from upper block coming down beside a stairs to the lower block. It was fun. We would dip our foot in the overflowing water and also see & listen to the water fall into the drain. We would at times bring an umbrella and play at the rain that falls on the edge of the block, listening to the tup tup tup sound. 

We would cross the road to the older block (before the new block was constructed). That is the hardest, because Brayden will try to stall, pull us back and make excuses as to not go to school. He would then cry and cry when he needed to check-in to pre-school. I with a heavy heart will let go and pretend to go away (sometimes go for a quick breakfast at the block near the 7-eleven). But in fact, I will come back to his class 10-20 minutes later to see him starting his class happily with his friends. It was something I would do daily. 

Why have I not have much time to play with the children like this anymore? I always come back from work much later and not have much time to spend with them. I used to be able to send them to school and go to the playgrounds with them afterwards. Now not so much anymore. 

This week; Brayden imitate the actions from Physical 100 and hang at the monkey's bar. Bevlynn asked to put coins all over her. We played street fighter - All for good fun.