LifeScraps’ Friends

Yearbooking Alex

nobody@vox.com(longest flight) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:48:26 +0800

So hilarious!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Dinner at Tao's cuisine

nobody@vox.com(longest flight) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:22:33 +0800

My camera was put to good use last night at the dinner with the foodie girls who helped to took the photos. I brought Alex out which was a small challenge, coz he was cranky and I brought him in a pram. Singapore is rather wheels-unfriendly for the pedestrian so by the time I reached Paradiz Center, I was quite tired out.

I am a mountain tortoise... I have never been to Tao's or even seen the advertisement. The girls were sniggly about the late night advertisements of the waiter (or is he the manager) in it. The service was GOOD which make the dinner experience even more enjoyable.

For the mountain tortoise like me :P Tao's offer a seven course dinner. While some items are fixed, items like salad, drink, main course and dessert can be picked.

Let the pictures do the talking..

For starters, we had a gratin which we ate with the bread sticks. I heart the bread sticks which was soft and fluffy. The waiter even offered to pack some back for us, but I forgot about it... I really like the bread...

After the starter was followed by the strawberry shooter and the salads. We each ordered a salad. I thought a ham and potato salad wouldn't go wrong... well it did, the presentation wasn't appetising and the salad wasn't fantastic. Comparing the chicken salad (Farmboy splendor) with NYDC's salad, Tao's offered a better salad but I wish the portion was as big as NYDC's. :) The fruit salad was some fruits with crab sticks. Forgettable.

I love almost any kind of mushrooms and these two dishes satisfied my palate. I especially like the soup which was creamy and yet the taste wasn't overpowering. The grilled mushroom was garlicky and just the way I like it.

We each ordered a main course and sampled each other's. I must say I enjoyed my choice of a prime rib eye steak the most. The steak was cooked beautifully and the meat was tender and juicy. D's fish was good too. Crispy skin (not easy to cook) and tasted fresh. L's lamb was alright, but just my least fave among the three main courses.

I didn't try the rest of the dessert except for my green tea cheese cake which wasn't that great. Texture was on the hard side and green tea taste overpowered the cheese.

Verdict

I will definitely visit the place again. Like their service. Food was good. You can tell that the restaurant takes pride and put its heart into the cooking.

Last but not least. Photos with the girls and a fussy baby.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Alex's milestones- 5th mth

nobody@vox.com(longest flight) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:15:06 +0800

Hurray! My darling son turns 5 months old today. He will be attending his first wedding in 2 weeks time and then daddy and mommy will be celebrating his 6 months old birthday.

The little one is getting naughtier and he knows how to protest loud. When he wants to sleep, he just has to make a noise, straightens his body and mommy here has to guai guai walk him up/down the house... and he'll sleep within 2mins. What a spoilt boy and I spoilt him. :O

I brought him out quite often and though he enjoyed himself, the outings disrupted his sleep pattern. Hopefully can regain it soon. At the moment I am trying my best to speak Mandarin to him to get him accustomed to the language. It's not easy, coz I find myself keep slipping back to English, not using the proper terms, and he understands certain commands in English only.

Milestones

Can distinguish between bold colours- Yes, he likes bright colours since he's a wee baby
Can roll over- Yes, but he's contented lying around
Amuses himself by playing with hands and feet- Yes! He loves it when we praised him for "helping" us during diaper changings
Turns towards new sounds- Yes
Recognises own name- Respond to "baby"
May sit momentarily without support- Yes
Mouths objects- Yes
Stranger anxiety may begin- No. TG.
May be ready for solids- Yes, I think he is but will wait till next month
BIG milestone, he has cut his first tooth 2days ago and mommy is so excited! Hee hee. To be precise, front incisor on the lower gum. :D I brace myself for a challenging bf time ahead...

He loves

reading and wants to flip the pages himself
many big kisses from mommy planted on his cheeks
to peek at strange sounds and lights when he's feeding. Urgh!
to look at the fan rotating (strange!)
to smile at himself in the mirror and baby posters.

He is

close to 8kg :D
auntie killer (nickname from the cell group) :D

Alex babbling

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

I say...

nobody@vox.com(longest flight) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:57:10 +0800

The best service I could do for myself is to depend on God and me only.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

What pro-family measures?

nobody@vox.com(longest flight) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:58:44 +0800

Disclaimer: This is purely from a single income family/SAHM pov.

I had been anticipating what the PM will announce for pro-family measures in his National Day Rally speech. And I can tell you the flagging birth rates won't change much. To pre-empt the people before the speech, it was reported in the paper that SG sent a team to study about pro-family measurements in European country, which lit up my interest. I was even telling hubb, that if the incentives are good, then I will go back to work.

Truth to be said, child bearing is a personal choice. The government can only ra-ra on the side to beckon the people to give birth. For us, we enjoy this stage of parenthood, and we want to have another one (I have forgotten the pain of c-sect). If situation permits, I will want to take care of 2nd one full time too. If I have done it for my 1st and not for the 2nd child, it will be unfair and shortchange for no.2.

16 weeks of Maternity Leave- If the ML is around 6mths, then I will consider finding a full time job. I realised that baby caring only starts to settle for a routine after 3mths, so only a few weeks more means that I will enjoy my baby for a short while.
bigger baby bonus for first time parents- Again, no incentive for those already with kid(s). This maybe will encourage couples with no kids yet to start family planning. What about #2 and so on? The ultimate aim is to grow the population of Singapore and if only one or two child is born per family, the children are simply replacing the parents.
Again no mention of tax incentives for single income family
The only scheme I like is the Infant care leave that both the father and mother can enjoy. It makes a difference coz when young babies get sick, they take a longer while to recover and more leave is definitely welcome.

It's not easy to juggle between finance and raising a family. While any help from the Government is welcome, but the measurements announced this year is still not going to meet my needs, and to the people around me.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Many faces of my babbling Alex...

nobody@vox.com(longest flight) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:19:03 +0800

From smirky to sleepy

Alex now babbles!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Alex and cookielad

nobody@vox.com(longest flight) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:12:56 +0800

Can anyone remember my teddy bear, cookielad? :) I am sure some of you do. :) He belongs to Alex now who just loves to... chomp on him. Hehe. Alex also likes to sleep with cookielad. Mummy is vain, and thinks a teddy bear looks better than a plain ol' bolster with Alex. ;) Happy eating n hugging, Alex!

Alex and cookielad!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Dog for adoption

nobody@vox.com(longest flight) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:43:23 +0800

I need a good home

Putting this up to help my cousin who's a serious dog love to spread the word. If you have any queries, do let me know so that I can forward to her. Even I think this dog is cute.

The dog is a mongrel (stray) female puppy. Estimated to be 8 months old.

Msg from Cousin:
She was at an industrial park canteen then got complain cos of unfriendly people who dislike her at their makan tables, got caught by AVA almost being put to sleep. So someone had tried to stop the process BUT have to make sure she stays at a home as she had been mircrochip by AVA. Also, she will not be HDB-approve so prefer private housings if possible. She is very friendly with humans (better than my own dog). Please help to pass the message. Urgently need to rehome this dog. Thank you!!!

Pls take me home!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Roti prata

nobody@vox.com(longest flight) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:47:22 +0800

If not for the fact that I watch my eggs intake, I can have roti prata everyday! The cravings for these flattened fiend started when I was in my last trimester, preggy with Alex. Many months down the road, and I still got to have my roti prata fixes every week. It's best eaten when it's piping hot and the curry must be good too. I like mine especially with eggs and mozzarella cheese.

Hubb and I have a little prata routine now. Every Saturday morning we'll visit AMK hub, with bb in tow to have a prata breakfast. I love my pratas chewy and hubb likes his crispy. Only good pratas for me, mind you. So the best of the both world for us is found at the Ah Mei cafe on the 2nd floor.

I had some craving for prata last night. My very nice bil bought from this shop near our place. It's the last time I will eat them, coz there's nothing fantastic about prata and curry, and the fact that I took a risk to eat from the shop that I had food poisoning the last time I ate their food. Haizzz.

Anyway, here's a list of the few places that I like.

Ah mei cafe at AMK hub. Standard varies for different brancbes
The prata shop along Upper Thomson Road for their cheese prata. Best I have tried so far.
Casuarina prata shop also along Upper Thomson Road. Their garlic prata is nice but the rest of the stuff cannot make it.
Jalan Kayu, the very last shop, Tohirah.
Fong Seng, near NUS. One of our fave haunt when hubb and I were dating.

You can tell how much I love my pratas. Maybe it's the reason why my weight remains the same... but I do love it so and to have a single post devoted to it!

So, where's your prata place?

Prata

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Proud nevertheless

nobody@vox.com(longest flight) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:53:48 +0800

Singapore won its first silver medal out of Table Tennis after half a century of void. I am proud of our Table Tennis girls nevertheless and they were able to put up a good fight against the much stronger team.

Go Singapore! It's moments like this that made me realise I do love my country.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend