BDP : AT THE AIRPORT

(From now on, posts that's older will be tagged BDP : Back-dated Post !)

This was when we went to the airport. When I checked the date of when the pictures were taken, it was 1st of November 2009!

Hah! almost a year to the date.

I hang my head in shame!

I am such a bad, bad blogger!

 They even smile alike!

Photographic proof that we were at the airport - here we have a pic of planes.

UPDATE, UPDATE!

If you haven't heard by now, I've been busy "at work" on my new 365 blog.

I initially  thought it would be a great failure but I am pleasantly surprised that I am newly energised by all that daily blogging. I guess the 365-element allowed me the freedom to write up short updates & updating the blog with simple-oh-so-lame pictures of our daily lives.

It is actually refreshing & it does force me to be creative & look at things in a different perspective. I may not update everyday but I do try to re-tell the daily activities that we do all week. It really has been a renewed feeling!

That brings me to this blog .....

I don't know if I want to keep up this blog coz it really is so back-logged with stuff from the last quarter of 2009 till about August 2010 when I started the 365 blog. It is so over-due that it its duly embarrassing! But I know in my heart that the stories need to be told, the photos needed to be published. As I always say, I blog mainly for Ryan's (future) memories & of course my sanity! I don't know if Ryan will even bother to read the blog in the future or think about the effort (& tears) that I put in to keep the blog alive & well. It really is an open diary from me ... to my beloved son.

I don't know, we'll see ...

Anyhoo, do drop by for old news if you're vaguely interested. I will also try to update the long (draggy, mushy) stuff here, as the 365 blog is supposed to be short & sweet.

I will try, folks!

Meanwhile, take care & smile always, peeps!

NEW BLOG

I started a new blog ... eh! don't laugh ok!

Why start a new blog when you can't even manage one miserable blog in the first place? Errm ... why not?!

Ok, ok ... I started the new blog because I was intrigued by how some bloggers did up Project 365's (a photo a day for a whole year). As it was nearly the end of August when I started, of course the blog did not really "qualify" as a 365, but who cares right? I find blogging about 1 choice photo (or 2) a day ... actually easier & actually rather liberating. No need to explain much, no need for mega-long stories. Most of the time, that lone picture will do the talking.

Well, enough small talk!

Hop over my other blog - http://threes-a-company365.blogspot.com/  to see more of us, if you are vaguely interested. I can't promise that there will be a photo a day ... but I will try my very best.

Enjoy!!!

POUTS & TANTRUMS

Looking at these photos, I can't recall what transpired (haha ... am I just getting old & my memory is failing me or its just too many tantrum-throwing that I can't recall them all). I caught many grumpy looks & even some hand-pointing. Not a pretty picture I tell you but nonetheless important to etch in memory.

We all love to think that our children are perfect little angels. The reality is ... they are NOT! My Ryan ain't no angel, I am the first in line to admit that. He sometimes throws tantrums or gives me sour-grumpy looks when he doesn't get his way. But that does not mean that I let him get away with it! No siree!

I am one of those parent that would rather reprimand my own child when he misbehaves than let someone else do the scolding. I am aghast at rude & bad behaviour, especially from children. I also don't understand when parents can just sit back & let their kids say whatever they want, do whatever they want! Does that make it ok? ... just because the parents choose to keep quiet & let the ugly behaviour transpire? I think not! I may not be able to teach other people's children some manners but I'll be damned if my child takes after that bad behaviour. I think I need to speak up more if I want Ryan to grow up to be a respectable man. Shouldn't we teach our children from young? Shouldn't we protect our kids from being bullied? Do we sit back & say nothing ... or do we speak up ... for our kid's sake?

Ryan may not be the best behaved child nor the most gracious, but it is very important to me that he learns to be nice, courteous & honourable.

Now ... if only he would learn to share his things ... that would be good, no?

Still looking sweet here ...

Sour, angry!

Hey! Stop gritting your teeth & stop pointing, boy!

A HAND-ME DOWN JACKET

Ryan is a lucky little boy. He gets tons of hand-me-downs from family & (Mummy's) friends. And in return, when Ryan's outgrows the many clothes or toys, we pay it forward by giving away these toys to other family & friends. Many a times we have given them to charitable organisations too.

Its my way of passing on & blessing others with the many blessings bestowed on us. These items may not be new but they are still in good working condition. Besides, kids outgrow clothes & toys within a blink of an eye that it'll be such a waste to buy brand new when you can get them as hand-me-downs.This also works out for us as we are trying very hard to be ultra-frugal these days. 

I am not a parent that scorns at second-hand goodies. Nor am I vaguely embarrassed to admit openly that my son wears a LOT of pre-worn clothes & plays with a huge variety of wonderful pre-loved toys. 

The fact that Ryan has so many hand-me-downs stuff ... shows that so many people around him ... love him, right? See .. I told you Ryan is one lucky kid!

Ok, so ... the hooded-jacket was given to Ryan by my friend, Lisa (used to be her kids'). Ryan looks cute when he raises the hood to his pretty little head. Here I got some nice pics of him at home.

SO PEACEFUL

Don't all kids look peaceful when they sleep?

The only time that my Ryan can be quiet & still .... is when he sleeps. He's so hyper-active & talkative that sometimes its hard to keep up with him. Try spending a day with this small boy & you'll understand why me & Hubby tire easily these days (of course it doesn't help that we are cranky old folks).

I love to see my son sleep (& rested). It means that I can now have some semblance of peace & quiet ... even if its for a while ...

I love you baby, sweet dreams!

ROLLING WITH TRANSFORMERS

Remember when Ryan used to be sooo obsessed with The Transformers. The obsession may have lessened considerably but he loves those robots still. We bought these Transformers mats at Toys R Us when they were on sale.

Yes ... we spoil our little Ryan but he loves us so much ... in return. 

AN MRT RIDE UPDATE

We haven't been taking the MRT much, as a family these days. What with Hubby being very busy-&-hard-at-work these days, with his new job, Ryan with school & me ... being ahem ... lazy busy busy busy.

Just a simple update (these were taken in January 2010). Ryan now loves taking the train. What a world of difference compared to the early days, when he used to stiffen & look ultra-nervous. He enjoys the train rides these days. He never wants to sit ... he prefers to stand & hold the railings. Which is ok if the train is rather empty, not so good when its packed to the gills with people.

Oh well ...

Talk about these pics being "ancient", Ryan can't fit into the outfit anymore. He's grown!

I'M ON A ROLL NOW ...

... with updating my pics & blog.

These were taken in waaay-back February this year. As usual, whilst waiting for our ride at my sis' place, I can't help but whip my digicam out, to snap a few pics of my boy.

HOW I EAT

Wanna see how Ryan eats his favourite egg prata?

Wanna see how he "tortures" his Daddy ... after eating said eggy prata?

Well, I'm gonna show you anyway!

See what I go through ... on an almost daily basis.

Some days are good, some days are are. not. so. good.

But everyday ... with my boy ... is a blessing!

Prata ... here I come!

Ryan : Let's see how many poses I can come out with.

A LOVING KISS FOR MUMMY

As anyone would have noticed, I don't have a lot of pictures of myself on the blog. Why? Just don't like being photographed, that's all. So when gems like these turn up, I can't help putting them up here for others myself ... to see treasure.

A loving kiss from my angel, Ryan ... captured perfectly by Hubby!

Goes to show that even if we were waiting for our prata to be ready, we can get some touching  pics for memories.

Aww ... so sweet!

So blurry ... but still so loving & cute!

The (sometimes) photographer of the day.

HAPPY SCHOOL DAYS

Ryan has been going to a playgroup for more than eight months now (since the start of the year 2010). The initial stage wasn't a pretty picture but now he's been enjoying his daily school trips. Sometimes I try to snap pics of him before he embarks for that daily 2 hour session.

Why ... you might ask ... take photos of Ryan getting ready to go to school? Well, isn't going to school ... a rite of passage for every child?! So there! Hehe ....

See ... what I'm faced with every day ....

P/S : The logo of his school has been smudged/erased from the photos. Didn't want to put them out in the blog - confidential issues & all. Just so if you were wondering ... if his uniform was bleached or something. Nope!

BREAKFAST WITH MY DADDY

Ryan just loves his egg prata. And since our Precious loves prata for brekkie, we as a family have to suffer eat prata too. I've taken many photos of father & son having their usual morning pratas, here are two of them.

They both look very happy here - looking at them in the photos, puts a smile on my face.

Big smiles all around!

Aren't we feeling happy today!

SAY CHEESE ...

Recently, I've cultivated a rather "bad habit" of snapping photos of my son (under our humble block) ... whilst waiting for Hubby to get the car from the carpark. He'll say to me "Mummy, I say cheese". Yep, my son is so prone to my trigger-happy ways that whenever he sense a photo opportunity for me, he will remind his Mummy to snap away by saying the secret-code words : "SAY CHEESE".

If you think about it ... it's quite funny ... haha, to me anyway!

Ok, here are some random photos I've taken recently.

Nothing significant about them ... just Ryan acting out some of his moves & poses, that's all (he's full of them, these days!).

He loves this blue T-Rex (dinosaur) T-shirt. 

Ryan is soooo much into Ben 10 these days. Here he is twirling his Omnitrix, pretending he's Ben ... haha!

OF SPIDERS, SNAKES & CREEPY CRAWLIES

Do all boys love creepy crawlies?! I was under the impression that they all do. Evidently, my Hubby said "No, not all boys love insects & other creepy crawlies. Don't know why Ryan likes them".

So when my boy recently displayed a keen interest in things that make my hair stand on ends (yucks! I can't stand insects), I was willing to overlook my sheer & utter disgust of all things insect ... just to humour my kid.

Isn't that what we call ... love? ... hehe!

For a while now, there has been a small black spider that lived in our toilet (haha ... yep you read that right!). She has since made herself very comfortable in our loo. How did I know that it was a female spider? Well, she has since reproduced 2 baby spiders. Ryan just adore his pet(-roam-free)-spiders. Every morning he will never fail to greet them "Good morning, Spider!" before he starts his morning shower for school. Yep, that's the innocence of a 3 year old. Lately, the Mummy spider seem to have gone AWOL. My boy has been asking me - "Where's Mummy spider?" Errm ... I just don't have the heart to tell him that she might be dead. I don't think spiders got a long life span. Now that she spawned offsprings, she can go to Spider Heaven peacefully. Amen!

I don't so much love spiders but I was brought up not to kill or harm them. So this mum taught her son the same. So now Ryan just loves spiders too ... well, only the small ones (he's still petrified of huge spiders like tarantulas). He's also into snakes, ladybugs, snails, butterflies, etc.

So whenever we come across a bookstore, I will never fail to drop in to see if they have affordable books on sale. I've always loved reading so I am not at all aghast at spending a small fortune to encourage my son to read & explore his current interests. If snakes & spiders are what he likes right now ... that's what I am willing to encourage him on.

Busy showing his Daddy the finer points in insect study ... whilst waiting for our breakfast prata to be ready.

Ryan : Daddy, come read my book with me!

ANOTHER MONTHLY BIRTH-DAY?

Yep! You read that right!

If you have been reading this blog, ahem ... rather diligently, you might have seen some "oh-so-lame" yet rather impor-tant cake-blowing sessions that we have for our family ... well, it's just for the naughty munchkin (haha! not for the adults).

Yep, just like most kids his age, my Ryan enjoys blowing birthday candles. Errm ... not so much eating the cake though. Ryan seems to dislike any sort of cake these days ... I really don't know why. So this time round, I had this "brilliant" idea to buy a sugar-glazed donut instead. Donuts (among other things) are his new favourites, especially ones topped with chocolate or chocolate sprinkles.

Let's not forget the lone candle!

Smile for the camera!

A single blow will do it!

Will we still do this monthly cake-blowing-thingy in the future? I think we will. As long as Ryan still loves it & enjoys blowing the cartoon-decorated-cake, we will still humour him, with a candle. I think its just a simple act to show to our kid ... that we love him! That every month we spent with him ... is worth celebrating! And although its rather lame for most people, we still do it! I admit that we don't do it every single month ... due to forgetfulness & busy-busy days, but when we decide to do it, we usually celebrate it with little fanfare ... just that lone candle & cake for my angel, Ryan.

How do you celebrate the joy ... your kid brings to you? It may not be that cake or donut or eclair (or presents?), but I am sure every one of us have our own way to commemorate the happiness our children bring to our lives. I know me & Hubby will still keep on doing it, for as long as we can.

JUST MORE PICS TO SHARE

Since I didn't know where to begin on my loooong overdue posts, I guess the simplest way is to start from the present & ... go back & forth randomly. I will try to update the very recent photos but will "return to the past" whenever I can.

Don't get a headache reading the posts, ya?

This particular new red OP T-Shirt (bought during their seasonal sale) had a logo of a "fierce" blue eagle. Ryan refers to it as the "eagle shirt". Haha, that's originality for you!

Ryan looks rather grown up (and serious, no?).

Ok, its time for a cheeky smile for Mummy!

Another cheeky smile before we go!

Oh ... he also wore this same colour-coordinated outfit for the small National Day party at his playgroup. Bright red shirt, light khaki pants ... yep! I definitely wasn't gonna buy a pair of white pants just for that 1 day (duh! didn't want to be wasteful!). Besides, it doesn't matter that the pants are white (or not), what matters most is that Ryan enjoyed himself in his first National Day Party, at school. That's good enough for me : ) !!!

LATEST RANDOM PIC

We had a chance to go the the Jurong Bird Park recently, so I just wanted to share a cute picture of my mischevious munchkin, on the Ben & Jerry's cow mascot at the Park entrance. Ryan thoroughly loved the outing & a bunch of thanks goes to my pal, Lisa for giving us free invites. We also went to the Singapore Zoo too! Haha, so you can tell that I've got a huge bunch of photos to upload soon. Until then peeps ...

A SHORT UPDATE

Hello world!

Ermm ... if you were wondering, yes! we are still alive. Haha! Busy with our mundane lives but still just plain busy. Lots have happened these past couple of months & before you know it .... its the month of August. I've been lag ... the blog's been kinda dead. I know ... I know, no excuses ... it just is. I have such a backlog of photos & stories that it gives me a headache just thinking about it. All I can do is do my best. No promises ... just a concerted effort on my part.

Hey! its just a couple of months before 2010 is over & I haven't even begun updating about the whole year. I don't really know why I've been so lazy with the blog, maybe its just "blog fatigue" or sheer laziness. Its not that I don't have things to share. We do plenty around here, Ryan's been growing (though very slowly) & we have enough activities to keep us busy ... I just don't know where the time went. I hope to change that real soon. I do kinda missed blogging though ... & I feel really dreadful "mummy-guilt" for not documenting my adorable son's milestones ... all the important stuff that needs to be etched in memories & remembered ... for years to come.

Well, here's to more updates ... ya?

P.S : A new start calls for a new outlook, don't you think? Hope you guys like the new look of the blog. Just a fresh outlook, that's all.

MY TWO PRECIOUS BOYS !

The title says it all, ya!

They are both oh so precious to me ... but I'm sometimes ... their harshest critic, & at times ... push them the hardest.

Why do we do that?

Why are we the worst critics, of the ones we love most?

I guess its because we want only the best for them, nothing less! I am far more guilty of that, than most people would like to admit. I know I have to be strong ... & let them make their own mistakes, some-times. I know that its better to be loving & supportive than be destructive verbally but most times, its hard for me.

"Hold thy tongue ... & let love show you the way."

HERE WE GO AGAIN ...

Dear loved ones,

It's a public holiday today (we get to drive) but we were at home the entire day, rotting away (we usually don't). Ermm .... what was wrong?? Well, my poor baby, Ryan is down with high fever (once again!) since Wednesday & hasn't recovered yet. He's (so) frequently falling sick these days ... that my heart skips-many-a-beat (not in the good-excited way, ok!) whenever he has a slight temperature!

Dear God, please make my baby better ... he's had a tough couple of months recently & just when he's over the bend ... he falls sick again. Poor thing! I'm sometimes so tired & drained but I am very relieved that Hubby is around to help me these couple of months. As much as I grumble (& nag), I'm very glad & extremely grateful to have his love, support & helping hands, during these tough times.

Why you might wonder am I on the blog yakking away, all of a sudden? Errm ... Hubby finally starts on his 2nd job today. Whilst his 1st job is more on an adhoc basis & doesn't bring money in all the time, Hubby had to take on a 2nd job that feeds the family, regularly. Unfortunately, the 2nd job entails long hours & regular night shifts. There are times that I wonder ... whether we did the right thing? .... Hubby left his old job for so many reasons. Our current situation might never make us millionaires, heck it might not even make his old pay but all I can say is that - there's no turning back now!

Whatever may come,
Whatever will be ...
We will face it together, as a family.

We will stay strong,
We will be resilient,
We will stand united,
We will defy the naysayers,
We will make it ... no matter what!
Heck! There's no other damn way ....!

Its sometimes hard to stay positive. Its sometimes hard to be super-duper optimistic ... but we have to try the best that we can. We have chosen this path for our family & we will be moving forward, not backwards, damn it! Deep in my heart, I really do believe that we made the right decision ... but there are times, when even the strongest supporter (muah!) has lingering-doubts of her own.

I may not know a lot of things ... but the one thing that I am sure of is this - Ryan just loves having his Daddy around the home, all day long! During the pass six months or so, these 2 guys have built a bond so strong that recently Ryan sprouted this priceless gem :

Ryan : Daddy, go where?

Me : Daddy, go work, darling.

(I sometimes tell Ryan that his Daddy is working, when he's out of the home like attending courses or running some errands for the day. I know its 'cruel' but its just easier that way. When his Daddy's home, he will ... never fail, to ask again).

Ryan : Daddy, go where?

Hubby : Daddy, go work.

Ryan : No! Daddy dun go work, (sometimes he will also say : Mummy, dun go work, too ... haha!)

Hubby : Daddy, have to go to work darling.

Ryan : Daddy, dun go work. Daddy, stay at home. I go work!

(Oh! how I wish that was true! Especially ... when you are much older & get to read this blog entry, I will hold you to your word, my little angel)!

If you ask Hubby whether leaving his job was worth it, just to hear those precious words from his only son, he'll probably give you a resounding Y-E-S! The 2 boys have forged a relationship so strong that its so endearing & heartfelt, its such a fulfillment that brings so much joy, in Hubby's eyes. That alone ... makes everything worth it!

Your kid is only 3 (years old) once, for when that (certain) age passed ... you will never, ever get it back! Spending precious time with his son, has made it all worthwhile. We may never have riches, we may never be rich, heck ... we may never have a lot of money ... but the one thing that we have is a close-knitted family that is full of love & devotion. Nothing can buy that!

If it means that we have to eat home-cooked meals everyday, shop less, buy less, own less ... then so be it! At least, we have each other. Coz if we were to die tomorrow, we will have died with less regrets, coz we spent those precious & priceless moments with our son. He will always know that we love him so much & everything that we do is for him, alone. He will never have to question our love for him, he will always know that we will do everything within our power to give him a wonderful, stable & loving environment. He will always be loved & he will always know that we love him. That will never ever change!

I will try to blog more frequently & upload some photos real soon, to get everyone up to speed ... on all the on-goings these pass couple of months. Till then .... stay strong everyone!

Always, Lynn.

SHORT UPDATE

I know, I know .... I haven't been updating here for sooooo long that I wasn't even sure of my own password & stuff ... Duh! Ok, ok ... since I AM blogging now, (guess) I kinda figured it out somehow ... haha! The mind's getting ol-der & it doesn't (seem) to get younger!

We've been S-I-C-K!!! Yep, not sick of life (oh yes! that does happens some times) but very very sick, medically. The whole family has taken turns falling sick ... especially my poor baby, Ryan (he was hospitalised!). We are almost over the bend & it looks like life is slowly picking up! I really hope we can stay healthy .... at least for a long long while. Its been DAMN exhausting, tiring & most of all draining! I can't tell you what day it was ... coz everyday, its all a blur. Days come & go ... & truth be told, I don't really remember April whizzing by ... but I guess it did huh ... coz its now the merry month of May ... double haha!

I will try to get into the groove of things very soon, people. Give me time huh? Meanwhile, stay cool (in this bl**dy hot weather) & stay sane ya!!!

MY BOY

Yep, just some pictures of my boy - this time as a collage. I think I might do more of the pics in collages next time as I've already used up a ghastly 45% of my Blogger photo quota thus far. As I don't see myself stopping taking photos of my family anytime soon, I think I need to re-size or choose my endless photos wisely. I don't want to have the need to pay (extra internet storage space) for my blogging hobby - that just doesn't make sense to me!

Anyway, this collection of photos of my boy (taken in January 2010 - on the busy streets of Orchard Road, no less!) ... now adorns my PC. Yep, I get to see his cheeky smile ... everytime I boot-up the computer. What a joy!

P.S : Just click on the photo, to see the bigger version of it.

Doesn't he look cute? Yes, I'm extremely biased ... so sue me !!!

RYAN ... LOOKING COOL

Here's a recent pic of Ryan trying to act cool. He's wearing his latest acquisition ... a rather cool pair of black shades from Daiso, no less. Yep! you can still look as cool as a cucumber ... for a measly 2 bucks, haha!

A MOVIE PASS GIFT

My lovable niece, Ayra had her birthday earlier in the month (have lots of pics from the birthday party but will post later). Yep, she turned a grand old age of seven ... hehe! As per our usual family tradition, we let the kids give gifts for whoever's birthday it is, in our big family & its no different this time. Instead of buying another "oh-so-lame" gift for Miss Ayra, I thought it would be a swell idea to give her a movie pass instead, as a gift from her cousin, Ryan (besides what do you buy a girl, who has everything? Oh BTW, we also gave her 2 pink OP T-shirts). We offered to bring her to a movie of her choice & of course we will join her during the show. My dad decided to join us too. So the five of us had a movie date on Thursday.

Luckily, Hubby had the idea of buying the movie tickets the night before coz when we arrived on Thursday, an hour or so before the movie ... it was jammed packed! I guess since we don't really go to the movies these days, I was slightly overwhelmed by the school-holidays crowd. I guess as my kid is pretty young, I wasn't used to the idea of bringing my kid out during the school holidays. With Ryan, we have the luxury to bring him out almost anytime & because playgroup is just two hours a day, we still had plenty of room to maneuver our routine.

What did we end up watching? Errm .... "Alice in Wonderland". Well, I can tell you that ... it wouldn't have been my 1st choice ... Hubby tried to recommend (rather unsuccessfully) "The Green Zone" (which my Dad supported too) but I was thinking of "How To Train Your Dragon" ... but we had to respect the birthday girl's choice - Wonderland, it is! We chose the two adjoined couple (or lover's) seats in the back row, as I presume that the kids would want to huddle together. Errm ... they did, only for the first ten minutes of the show. By then my kid, wanted to squeeze with us ... oh well, more room for my niece & my dad, I guess.

Ryan did surprisingly well this time .... w-e-l-l, for a three year old. He did not grab onto me like a frightened koala bear (unlike the first 2 movies we went to). He didn't keep pestering me to "go outside" or saying that its dark or "scary", infact other that wanting to change positions - sitting on me, sitting on Hubby, sitting in between us, etc. he did pretty ok. He did not talk very loudly, nor did he kick or shout, neither were there temper tantrums or arguments with his cousin. The 2 kids did disagree on the small white blanket that I brought along (just in case it got cold) which it did - they were both pulling at the blanket & no one wanted to give in. In the end, I removed Ryan & let Ayra have the blankie. I didn't want any meltdowns during the movie. I gave Ryan the Thomas the train jacket (a hand-me-down from my friend, Lisa) to cover his bare feet (yep, he insisted on removing his sandals earlier).

As per my kid's usual antics, he brushed the jacket away, soon after & didn't missed covering his feet at all. Sigh ... sometimes I wonder why he gets into petty disagreements with Ayra ... is it coz he only wants things done H-I-S way? Sometimes I feel he's just being a normal (well adjusted but mischievous) kid. Sometimes I think he's just being bratty & refuse to share. Sometimes I think he's just testing my very-limited patience. Sometimes I think he's just being himself. Sometimes I think ... I should just let it go ... & let Ryan be a kid & figure things out for himself. Yes, my kid has major "ownership issues" - in other words ... Ryan can be a tad stingy, ok ok ... he can be bl**dy stingy (most of the times). It can be rather embarrassing & sometimes it makes me want to hide my face but I do try (very hard) to teach my kid that he has to share & be more accommodating, especially to loved ones, family & friends. I am sad to report that Ryan can be ultra possessive with his stuff & very rarely likes to share anything. Is it a single child syndrome? Is it my fault? Is it just his nature? Sigh ... I'm still working on it. I hope everyone around him ... can understand that Ryan means no malice or ill-will, its just who he is right now ... but I hope to change that in the near future.

Overall. the movie was a success. I guess its in Ryan's blood to enjoy movies (eventually) as both his parents are real movie freaks. What was surprising was that the popcorn and drinks ended up being more expensive than the ticket price! A single movie ticket on a weekday, paid by Nets was $6.00/per person. The popcorn combo of a large popcorn & two drinks were $7.80 (I had to add 30 cents to change one of the drinks to an Ice Lemon Tea). I tried to get a cheaper alternative of just the popcorn but the guy at the counter told me that a large popcorn would cost me $7.00 & adding 80 cents will get me 2 medium drinks. I think that its a no-brainer, I took the combo. Hubby was upset with me for spending so much on the popcorn combo ... duh! I told him "I did the best I could" ... to be thrifty but sometimes its just not possible! Luckily the tickets were relatively cheap so it kinda offset the "luxury" of the popcorn. Ironically, everyone enjoyed the popcorn ... including the thrifty Hubby. Oh well you win some, you lose some!

I hope my sweet Ayra enjoyed herself!

A LITTLE RESPECT PLEASE!

Let me ask you ... is it so wrong to ask for a little respect? Well I guess it is ... for some people! Although, I am no angel, although I am just as imperfect, as the next person standing next to me, although I am so-far-off, from being the best Mummy, wife, daughter, sister(-in-law), aunt, friend or neighbour ... I know ... I try my darnest in almost anything I do in life. So why is it so hard ... to ask for some bloody R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

Arrgh! I'm not one to go into details or wash ALL my dirty-linen in public, NO ... I have too much pride for that! But its getting increasingly more difficult to grit my worn-down teeth ... or bear with it! Am I supposed to bear with the humiliation ... just so I can make peace with the world or those around me? Am I supposed to just "fake-a-smile" & pretend that I am having the time of my life ... when in my heart ... I feel so utterly humiliated? Am I supposed to swallow my "extremely-limited" pride & hold my (acid) tongue, in public??!

Is it so damn hard to ask for a little respect?

Am I not worth it ????

Am I not worthy .... at all ???!

There's no point in elaborating or explaining. I guess I will get over this ... like I do, with so many things in my ever-pathetic life (do I even have any other choice?) ... but its been try-ing & so damn HARD!

Hard on my pride ...

Hard on my self-worth ...

Hard on my confidence ...

Hard for my soul.

I'm just venting .... really .... I neeeeeed to! Or else ... other worst things might come out of my potty mouth. No one wants to hear the kind of words that I'm really capable of .... when I'm pissed off! So I usually try to bite my tongue & bear with it. Coz when I can't bear it any longer, the do-er with definitely face my wrath ... & usually, it ain't a pretty picture!

Sheesh! I think ... I'm feeling a bit better now ... just a little ok?!

Back to real life ... huh?

HELLOOOOO .... EVERYONE !

Yes, its me! Nope, we did not fall off the face of the Earth & disappeared ... just busy with stuff, that's all. I have been a terrible blogger coz I know I have tonnes of stuff to blog & I still did not move my big butt ... & just do it. I don't know when I will be able to get myself up to date & I do feel kinda stressed about it ... haha, yes ... I know I'm anal like that, well that's just me.

A quick update!

Hubby's officially now a civilian. For those in the know, we are now officially stepping into a new phase of our life. One bad news though .... errm ... Hubby did not get his (last & final) pay ... yet! That just pissed me off, big time! I mean who works & don't get paid ... DUH! I mean if you were employed by a small-time company, then maybe ... but those who know who was Hubby's employer (our government, no less!) sees it fit to not give him his last pay check on his last day of work (they see fit to only pay him at the end of the month!!!) WTF!!! Our last paycheck was during the 2nd week of January (!!) & we've been gingerly hanging by a thread ever since ... we still are! I am totally pissed off & angry ... coz we were really caught off guard! You would think that one of the biggest employer in the country could at least get this simple thing right ... but I guess Hubby is just a small fry in their big organisation. Nobody cares about the "little men" - the rich & powerful only take care of each other! So while we hang on for dear life with what little money we have left, I am still fuming & bloody enraged! The pay better be in by the end of this month .... or someone's gonna get chopped big time! (it could be Hubby ... haha!).

Well, let's move on to (other much) nicer things ....

My dear Ryan's ... been going to school. There are good days & some not so good ones. He's been crying & refusing to stay in school, clutching on to me or his Daddy (for dear life). He's also missed nearly an entire week of school in February (being very sick) just before Chinese New Year (more about that in a separate entry). So as you can guess, after the loooong weekend ... he was not very happy that he had to (re)attend school. Tears & more tears ensued! Sigh ....

I've been cooking (a lot) these days. Its getting (much) better & I'm relieved to say that I'm coping with the new schedule. When Ryan is in school, I get more than a hour or so of "ME-Time". The house is oooh-so-quiet (you can hear a pin drop) & I can (get to) do some light reading, cook in peace, log on the Internet or just catch up on some daily chores. It seems (much) easier to do certain things, when there's no (rather annoying) 3 year old, breathing down your neck, bugging you every 30 seconds. Oh! don't get me wrong ... Ryan's the love of my life, but every-one needs a little time & space .... even from their loved ones. My (short) time & space comes ... when Ryan goes to playgroup, daily. I thank God ... for helping me keep my sanity & my wits .....

As we are stepping into a new phase of our lives, we have gone totally frugal (meaning : thrifty, cheap-skate) . We try to cut costs by eating more at home (for almost every meal), especially on weekdays. We are trying to cut corners wherever & whenever we can. Its been a tough & interesting journey but we're still learning & experimenting. I am glad to report that Hubby is a firm supporter of this "Frugal Drive". In fact, he comes out with equally (bizarre) cost-cutting measures that help us to trim our expenses, even more. He's also been good at giving me support & lending a helping hand ... in executing these measures. I am glad to report that Ryan has been a real trooper too. He doesn't seem to mind or even remotely care that we are spending a l-o-t of time at home (that's a huge relief!). In fact because we tend eat more at home, his appetite is getting much better! I hope that continues.

I have also been reading a lot on frugal blogs, to pick up any tips that I can possibly try out. I noticed that a lot of these blogs are based in the USA (by mums) & not many local/Asian ladies blog about being frugal (not that we are not frugal). So I guess although a lot of their tips are not really relevant here in sunny Singapore - winter & snow, heating & electricity, Goodwill, couponing, even their penchant of eating lots & lots of beans (?) .... there are still plenty that I can learn. So I'm hoping to learn more from there thrifty ladies - & be a thrifty one, myself.

To tell you the truth, I have actually started a few other blogs in the past ... Yah! Don't laugh ok! I know ... I can't even keep up with one blog, why bother to create more! Well, I did it because I didn't want to write about those specific topics in this blog ... as "Three's-A-Company" is more of a family blog, more about our daily life .... not so much about my many interests. I am at a crossroad ... do I combine these blogs together? I guess one of the reason why I separated them is because when people go to my other blogs, they only read about those specific topic & not so much about my personal life (which I'm not that keen). I know ... isn't it so ironic? If you don't want people to know about your personal details ... then why bother to blog rite? Arrgh! I guess its a fine line of knowing certain details about a blogger that bothers me a little. Take for example my other blogs - I set up 1 blog for being frugal, 1 blog for Bentos & one blog for meals that I cook for my family. The frugal & Bento blog was created last year & hasn't been updated regularly. The new blog I created this year - on cooking home-cooked meals, was something I did up, so that I can get a better idea & keep a "visual-track" of what I cook for my family. I am no great cook & there are no recipes to show (for now) coz I am not confident that anyone wants any of my simple recipes ... haha! I cook & take pictures to "inspire" myself - & encourage my lazy ass to prepare a variety of dishes, create or learn some new & healthy recipes to feed my (rather fussy) family. Not only do the recipes have to be dead easy, they have to be frugal (cheap) & not spicy because I refuse to cook a separate dish just for my kid. Everyone eats the same stuff in this house .... I ain't the maid!

So that's it guys ... a rather long update on our current state of life. I'll try to get some pics up very soon. I guess first up - should be Ryan's 3rd birthday (waaaaay back in January). Ain't I a horrible Mummy ...?!!

Tell me if you guys are vaguely interested in reading up on the other blogs & I'll happily oblige. Meanwhile, take care & I'll see you in ..... real life! To-de-looooooo !!!!

BUSY AS A BEE

Yep! That's been an understatement! We have been kept busy with the usual stuff & more. Since Ryan started playgroup this year & it was also his birthday, we've been kept busy since the first days of January. Is this how 2010 will be? Busy as can be?? One consolation is ... time does pass very fast when you are busy. Bad thing ...? You are always so damn tired & there's never enough time in the day .... to do the million other things on your Task List. Duh!

Ok, I've been a BAD blogger & I haven't been updating regularly. Not only haven't I finished updating last year's backlog, I have further created a new "monster" ... with the arrival of 2010, comes with it more photos & stories, yet untold. I promise I will get to them somehow ... some day. Haha ... when? I can't promise you ... but I will get them all done, really!

Meanwhile, I wanted to put up a adorable pic of my munchkin taken recently in downtown Orchard (on the first day of 2010). His hair was still long here ... errm .... does he look a little like a girl? Yes!! my boy has been mistaken for a girl ... many a times during his lifetime (especially when he grows out his hair). Does he look like a "pretty" girl to you? Oh well, whatever!

He looks kinda cute here (he was holding his newly bought orange Yo-yo) & was being rather co-operative ... so the photo turned out quite well (nice natural lighting too). My boy .... is 3 now! I can't believe it! I love him more each day ... & eventhough he's still a little mischievous rascal, I can't imagine my life without him!

This photo now adorns my PC, as the wallpaper. Everytime I switch on the computer, I see Ryan's smiling face. Awwww!!!!!