I attended a F1 Race!

How I wish it was real!

Nah...it was my Company's annual meeting event where they shared the Company's results for last year and plans for this year, followed by teambuilding activities and the day was ended off with a Gala dinner. The theme this year was F1 Race for the meeting and F1 Glam for the Gala dinner.
This is my first work experience in a Sales & Marketing environment with S&M people. I must say they are a real bunch of creative, fun-loving, daring, spontaneous, sporting people. They have all kinds of ideas and can do all sorts of funny stuff. What was worth a praise was that the organising committee planned, organize and execute the entire event in-house without engaging any event company, from all the logistics work of sourcing for venue to indoor props design and making, the scripts, skits, speeches, costumes, company results and future plans presented in such a way that synchronized with the F1 theme, show hosting etc etc. So much good work and great effort!

The energy level was really high throughout the whole day. I had a good time too! I think they are all charged up and ready to race off for a better year of achievement! Congratulations for achieving the S$50M milestone!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My dad turns 64 years old today. We celebrated his birthday a few days earlier and got both my mum and dad to post for a lovey dovey photo. It's really heartwarming to see both of them getting on well as they grow old together. Surely, they have their usual squabbles like all couples do, but living to this age, I can tell that they are contented just to have their children and grandchildren be with them. I am just as contented to have them around and grateful for all that they have been through to bring us up. I have not been the best daughter to my parents, but I am constantly striving to be a better one. I want to be able to do much more for them just like they have done for me all these years.

Mum & Dad, I wish you good health and happiness!

Love from your daughter.

Count down to 2009!

2009 is not going to be an easy year in many aspects. Being a pessimist, I would use the word "tough" to describe it. Being an optimist, Patrick would use words like "full of opportunities" to describe it.

Despite the looming prospects, there are still many things that I look forward to in 2009.

I look forward to more family time with my loved ones.

I look forward to the growth and development of my little girls.

I look forward to growing "young" with Patrick (young at heart lah!).

I look forward to the birth of my baby niece.

I look forward to meeting up with those very close and best friends of mine since school days.

I look forward to fostering happy working relationships with my colleagues.

I look forward to a rewarding career at work.

I believe if we are prepared for the worse and stay positive, we'll be able to weather all storms and come out stronger.

Happy New Year to All!

Enrichment Classes

Shannon is 17 months now. I reckon it's about time I expose Shannon to some kind of playgroup activities so that she has the opportunity to interact with children of her age.

We sent Rachel to her 1st playgroup when she was 15 months old. We were happy with the outcome of our action as Rachel grew up to be an extremely cheerful and sociable child. She is also highly adaptable to new environments. When we stopped her babysitting arrangement and placed her at a new childcare centre at the age of 3, we never have to go through wailing and screaming episodes every morning when we dropped her off at the centre. I was in the centre with her for only first half of the day (although I was allowed to sit through with her for 1st 3 days) and then she was on her own after that. At age 4, I switched her to PCF Nursery class and then a new childcare centre (closer to home) at the age of 5. With every change and new environment, it was painless and Rachel adapted well. Patrick and I attributed it partly to the effect of the playgroup sessions that it had on her. I hope she will have no problem assimilating into yet another new environment when she enters Primary one.

I did some search over the internet but have not decided on which playgroup to send Shannon to. I am not even sure if we have the time to do that as these playgroups for this age group are usually held once a week on weekends.

Our weekends (more of Saturday as Patrick and I agreed to reserve Sunday for family time) are now packed with enrichment activities for Rachel. She has violin and gymnastic lessons on Saturday, and will soon start her Kumon class on Saturday morning as well.

Patrick used to (still does at times) reprimand me for being a "kiasu" mother and depriving our child of a childhood that she rightly deserved. I do feel guilty of it at times. So now, I am cautious not to let Shannon follows suit. But some friends commented that I neglected Shannon.

I guess there is no right or wrong. It all depends on every development stage of what is best for the child.

Mummy to the Rescue!

Just when Shannon's blog almost died a natural death, I decided to devote a little of my time to rescue it! I decided to revamp the blog to be one that I will use to pen down my thoughts, feelings, encounters, write about anything under the sun and most importantly, about my darling angels. I took a 2-min crash course last night to learn from Patrick how to publish posts on blog. Blame it on my laziness + I am never into IT, technology and web stuff to pick it up earlier. From now onwards, the content of all posts will be from Mummy's perspective; i.e. yours truly. So I have tasked Patrick to re-design this blog to reflect the change and he has till end of this year to do it! A new beginning for this blog in a new year!

Nonetheless, I am very thankful for Patrick who started this blog for our little angel, Shannon, when she came into this world. Despite his busy schedule, he has spent time building up the blog during the first 12 months of Shannon's birth. And I took the credit for it! Cos many readers would think that it was Mummy who was writing on the blog. Only those friends of ours who read this blog knew it wasn't me. :p Now, it's about time I take over and do something for my little girls. I am not sure if I can write as well as Patrick and not sure if I have the stamina and perseverance to keep the blog going, but I will certainly try my best. A new year's resolution!!?? Ha!

So, here it goes....my first post! Stay tune for more to come.....in the new year!