Sweet Spot Coffee

SSC got into big trouble because they have a cute assistant but she has a loud shrill voice and when somebody walks past she'll say "Free lemonade for you!".

Kane Chronicles

Her obsession with anything ancient Egyptian, lead us to purchase these Rick Riordan trilogy.

Fingers cross they are as good as The Percy Jackson and Olympian series.

I wrote this entry, this morning, hoping that the 400+ pages long novels would last for months, oh how wrong was I.  She chewed through the book like yummy chocolates and got to the end by 4pm.  

I think she mastered skim reading....fyi, I only got up to chapter 4 in an hour's time.

Postcard from NZ

It is the season of change again and here is another postcard from ever changing face of nature in New Zealand.

"Spring rain has been in abundance; dark, rolling masses unfolding from the west and the cold that often comes with it..the storms of change, strong winds and battering rains but it's a time of change for all living things isn't it? 

Two blackbirds are mating in my garden now unperturbed by it all it would seem and yesterday a tired pigeon came into the shelter of my garage to die in a warm corner of its choosing but I foolishly sent it back outside before I realised what it really wanted.  It's lack of energy to escape was my clue and I didn't read it well. 
Story of my life it would seem. I don't read clues.

The pale-eyed, grey clad armies of winter huddle around now smokeless fires ushering in the triumphant, blazing reds and golds and brilliant greens of spring.  

Truly every season is wonderful and you and I are still above the ground to see them.  How lovely for us both."

Indeed, every changes brings their own loveliness.  Even the slightest shift in one mind's paradigm can bring out the brightest light from within.
More of this to come later, but now, lets thank the season of change.

Awe Struck Moments

You'll notice when you have kids that they sometimes say the strangest thing that makes your eyes pop out, or tickle your ribs so hard it makes you laugh, or makes you touch your forehead because it is so mind boggling to say at their age.

At 4 years old, on her dinner:

"Mmm, the macaroni is bubbling deliciously in the pot."

At 3 years old, on her drawing:

"The mice on ice are doing somersaults."

At 4 years old, she sings:
"They say I'm just drama, but every bubbles got to pop!"

At 6 years old, on her math quiz:
"This is a piece of cake, so give me a piece of meat!"

At 6 years old, out of nowhere she blurted out:
"I wish I could have a virgin birth."
I went: "Whuattt?  Wwwhat do you mean?"
She goes: "Having a kid without marrying someone."
I asked: "Where did you read about that?"
She answered: "Nat Geo!"
I thought, oh it must have been about the Virgin Mary story.
So I asked: "Why would you want to give birth to a child?"
She declared: "Well I want to have a little assistant for myself!"
So I searched for my forehead and slapped it hard!
The whole time she never stopped doing her homeschool grade 1 math......aiyayaii

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

After many months of waiting, she finally got her little claws on the ultimate collection.
I'm suspecting the answer to her mischief lies in the pages of these books. What do you reckon?

Comic meets Anime

Ok, I get it, so she transitions her drawing from stick figures to fleshy leggy girls.
Kind of what's happening in fashion now isn't it? Get rid of the anorexic bulimic girls and replace them with healthier looking ones.
Can you see the one in between the middle cut off line? Stick thin legs and fleshy arms, LOL!

T-Shirt Recon

When you get to a certain age, you tend to stick with what works for you.  For example, if a certain style of shirt looks good on you, then you would probably buy the same style shirts in different colours.
Then there's the extreme (this happens when you get a bit older), you found a style that brings out what's left of your best, and then you buy two or three of it, just in case one got into an "accident" (i.e. your child decides to do arts and crafts, on you), IN THE SAME COLOUR!  Lol.
Sadly I've fallen into the latter category.  Especially if thrown into a SALE situation.  Lets move on.....

What you'll need:  

-T-Shirt (preferably you have an extra copy of it, just in case you mucked it up)

-Flowy fabrics that is long enough to go around your hips 4 times (because the tighter the gather, the prettier it'll look)

-If your fabric is see through under the sunlight like mine, you'll also need an inner skirt.  Here I use an inner skirt from an old tired skirt and I simple measure the length that I need and leave the seam, voila, half done already)

Method:
- unpick the T-Shirt's seams and tidy up the bits that are not straight

-  cut your fabric that is meant to be for the skirt into whatever length you desire (extra short or long it's up to you)
- if your fabric is see through when you hold it against the light, then you better sew in some linings, this lining does not have to be gathered and nice to have a stretchy lining so it won't limit your movement.  Just measure the lining up against the T-Shirt's circumference and the length of the lining against the length of the flowy fabric.
Sorry for the lack of pictures, I was too eager that I rushed to finish everything and forgetting the step by step pictures.
- If you're like me and like to use up old tired clothes from your past life (typo:  season), then get a lining from an old skirt and just measure up from the seam.  Mark the length and cut.

- Leave the lining's seams (lazy person's advice)

- Do a loose stitch on the fabric you want to gather, then pull the thread underneath so the fabric gathers
- Stack the gathered fabric, the lining and the T-Shirt (wrong side up), pin them and sew.  Serge to finish.  (This step was excruciating for me since my fabric was very slippery and I had to use a tweezer to help me since ironing it didn't help either.  Moral of the story: avoid satin unless you're on a holiday).
- If you're like me, I tend to just finish the edges of skirt with serger.  Yes, another lazy advice.
- Voila!


Now, who said I was getting old because I buy duplicate of things?  I have a T-Shirt and T-Shirt with a little skirt attached to it :)

Look what decided to pop up!

After nearly half a year of waiting and wondering if they're ever going to come out at all (lets hope she forgets all the comments the adults been making to her), the awesome duo are finally here!!!

To all the adults that asked if the mouse (or all other type of nocturnal creatures) stole my teeth...

Monster Face

Who is scaring who?

Burnt Pie

Sniff first then smell the burnt pie???

The Head

It is one difficult thing to master the Chinese language. Try to do that when a million of other things are in your head. Hence the word "head" for this little girl to write. I wonder why the teacher was so angry and my little girl came crying to me...

Now I reckon it is a bit hieroglyphic-y and graphic way to write "head". Off she goes to do another batch...

The Glasses

Remember that time when your mom took you to the optometrist because you're unable to see the writings on the blackboard anymore from where you're sitting?

It probably went like this:

"Here's your new glasses"

"Surprised, everything look so clear!  EEK!"

"Am not wearing these extra pair of eyes, period!" 

"Hmm, it looks better if the can wears it"

"Mom gives up and say OK just have more carrots" 

"Throwing it in the bin?  Not OK!"

Teaming Up

Since there are only the two of us ....

"Two of us in 'Love Pavillion' on natural setting"  (not that other interpretation of us being in cage while the birds fly free)

... it's only natural for these girls to be teams of two, too.

Glow in the Dark

She's been obsessed with anything glow in the dark.

 We acquired some stars to light up the way to the bathroom.

Then for our next project, we'll build the solar system using cardboard, some strings and some quirky paints.

What do you know, it really glows when I stored the paints back in the cupboard.  Hehehe.

Women's Fight Club

The Little Grown Up

Since we have started homeschooling, my little 6 years old had learnt myriads of things especially on the environment and science.
It made me chuckle to see her using one finger to answer the questions. Perhaps it is time to get her to learn how to type.

Delansey

Introducing "Delansey" she is just a girl. Hahaha.

Nina

Introducing "Nina" the kid agent. Just 10 years old but already spying on people.

Karen

Introducing "Karen" the nurse.

Samantha

Introducing "Samantha" the spy.