Nat's first school concert

I was a proud mama this evening as Nat successfully performed in her first school concert. Themed ‘Happy Feet” the event was held at the YWCA Fort Canning Lodge and had the Outram K2 class graduation as the main highlight.

It wouldn’t have surprised me if Nat chose to chicken out, but she seemed in her element on stage and didn’t display any nerves at all.

She’s been practicing at home and they had a full dress rehearsal earlier on Tuesday with the school so I think that helped a lot. That was also when she got to wear make-up for the first time ever, something she was quite chuffed about.

 

While the kids hung out with their classmates and waited for the performances to start, me, Ma, Swana, Nick and Sasha had a quick bite to eat with the F&B provided as part of the ticket cost. We paid $20 per adult and another $35 for the costumes…these things don’t come cheap!

There was a photo display corner where we could order pictures of the kids taken at rehearsals and we bought a bunch. 

It was free seating inside the function room and while they stated no photography or videography since there was an appointed vendor, the parents didn’t care and whipped out their phones and cameras the moment their kids appeared.

The whole event was quite informal. The K2 kids did their graduation thing first, then performances by the various classes from the youngest to the oldest. Nat and Gigi’s performance was in the middle and they did their routine to the tune of a Chinese song about a dragonfly.

 

They stood at the back, Nat looked so graceful in her costume and when the song ended and her classmates had left the stage, my little diva continued posing on stage for a few more seconds before realising she was the last one left, which made the audience laugh!

The kids were on a high after the finale and zinged around calling out to their friends and teachers in the foyer…I didn’t know they had older friends!

Jason Mraz at The Meadow

Yesterday evening, I had the Jason Mraz concert to attend. Swana was supposed to pick me up after work but there was a miscommunication and she bailed in the end. So I proceeded to take bus 97 from my office to MBS, normally a 5 min ride and the bus is frequent.


However, I lost my building pass just before I left work and the search for it made me miss one bus just as I was crossing the road. I thought the next bus would come along soon enough but after 30 mins, it was nowhere in sight.

When it did appear however, it was packed to the brim and nobody could board. Had to wait another 20 mins for the next bus which was also packed and when I reached MBS, I was not a happy camper.



The view as I walked from MBS to Gardens by the Bay perked me up slightly and I snapped some pictures along the way. Swana informed me a glass of Moscato was awaiting me at Verandah Café where she, Kavi and John were having a bite.

Being new to the Gardens, we didn’t know our bearings. She told me to come to the set of 3 Supertrees near the glass domes and I walked towards the trio I saw only to find out there’s another set near the entrance. So it was really not my day and I had to forego the moscato because we were running late!

We entered The Meadow where the concert was being held just as Jason kicked off promptly at 8pm. Took us a couple of songs to find a good spot to sit, we just wanted to chill instead of standing for 2 hours.




The first half I didn’t recognise any songs, but it picked up in the second half with Frank D Fixer, Mr Curiosity, You and I, The Remedy and of course Lucky which he sang with Corrine May and I’m Yours. For his encore he did 93 Million Miles and I Won’t Give Up, which made me teary...I think all married couples should listen to it!




He’s such a talented and witty songwriter, if you read his lyrics. Had a great time and so did the other 15,000 strong crowd.

Explored the gardens a little bit, the Supertree Grove was quite magical, makes one feel tiny. Need to come back one day and take some nicer pictures!




We ended up walking to MBS in search of drinks and food after giving up trying to get a cab. Swana got distracted by the Mulberry boutique while Kavi went to the ATM, they were still open at 11.30pm!

They didn’t have my fuchsia small Bayswater but according to the salesman, it was retailing for $1690 and was sold out long ago, so it wouldn’t have been available on sale. I feel better now! Swana impulsively bought yet another bag! A patent leather cream sling.

We ended up at HY California for some drinks and snacks, nice place to chill and enjoy the view although the LV Maison blocks the skyline. The calamari was crispy and their salsa is very refreshing.


Had to walk really far to get a cab home, we walked from MBS to NTUC Building...the queue outside the casino was ridiculous, more than 100m long I reckon!

Earlier in the day, Nat had a major meltdown just before the school bus was due to pick her up. She refused to go to school and when Ma called me at work, I could hear her screaming her head off in the background.

She didn’t state why, just kept repeating ‘I don’t want to go to school’. She then said she didn’t want to attend PE and Ma kept trying to reassure her that she could sit out PE if she didn’t want to join in and that I would inform her teacher of it. But it was futile.

When pressed for other reasons, she claimed someone in class had called her naughty, her friend Jordan. Knowing how sensitive Nat is, that was probably the main reason why she didn’t want to go.

In the end, I rushed down during lunch to persuade her to attend, I wasn’t going to make it a habit for her to skip school whenever she was upset about something. She wore her home clothes and I promised she could have a few minutes at the playground before heading to class.


She was really happy at the playground and then when we found the class in the activity room going through their PE lesson, she refused to enter. After a while she warmed up, and joined in bouncing some balls. Gigi was trying to sayang her, she also looked like she was going to cry because Nat was crying.

I asked the teacher Mrs Koh if anything had happened of late, and she said no. We both think it’s a case of not re-adjusting to their old routine after school holidays. Anyway, I agreed with the teacher it was best for me to just leave and let her deal with the aftermath, so I snuck off when Nat was distracted. She probably hates me for that!

Good Friday

Today was Good Friday and we had a quiet day in. Nick went for mass on his own and while the kids napped in the afternoon, we got quite a lot of household chores done. Wendy left on Tuesday night for a month's home leave after we renewed her contract. We were supposed to get a new helper but it fell through (long story!) and in the end we came to an agreement with Wendy to stay on.

Anyway, the month ahead is going to be a challenge because we'll have to fend for ourselves. No uninterrupted sleep for a month! I am using my childcare leave to take 3 mornings a week off work, the other 2 days WFH in the mornings till Wendy returns.

But the good thing is that at least I get to spend more time with the girls, preparing their meals and being really hands on. I like the fact that I get to see Nat up her schoolbus and I think the girls enjoy having their mother around more. At least I hope so!



We've had some nice sunsets of late, I love our view!




A bunch of us headed to Kaelash's house in the evening, quite impromptuly. The kids had a blast re-enacting the 3 Little Pigs again and the adults managed to get some chit-chat in. Love long weekends!

East Coast morning

Nick dragged us all to the beach this morning since he had a game on. Noticed the lovely sky on our way there…



Wendy and Nat played in the sand while Sasha and I stayed in the shade, the small one was afraid of walking on the sand!



I did carry her along the shore and found her a nice seashell, which she promptly stuck over her nose and said she was Pinocchio!


We cooled off at Burger King and I had a late breakfast, I think their breakfast platter has improved. When the boy was done, we stopped by Tiong Bahru for a bout of speed marketing, I picked up veggies, pork, newspapers and chicken rice in the space of 10 mins!

Nat napped for a while before Swana picked us up for Chinese class and while the girls were engaged with their lao shis, we sneaked off to SocialHaus to have a drink. When we were done, the kids were outside class having fun with giant calligraphy sponges…so cool!

Nursery calling

It was a big day for Nat and Gigi today, their first day attending nursery at YWCA.


Swana and I were both on leave to witness this milestone which served to remind us how fast the kids are growing.

Nat was all gung-ho in the morning as we got her bag ready and as she got dressed. Sasha wanted in on the action too.




I kept explaining to Nat how she was going to take the bus alone as Gigi had a different bus, but she did not seem bothered till we actually got downstairs. We waited for a while only to receive a call saying there was a mix up and there would be no pick up for Nat for that day and the driver asked if I could send her instead.

A check with Swana revealed she was still waiting for the bus and we headed towards Membina in the off chance that Nat could board Gigi’s bus, which she made in the nick of time.

Gigi was all excited and brave and already on board when we reached but when the bus assistant put Nat on board, she naturally cried but still allowed herself to be belted and before we knew it, they were off.


We tried to trail them but lost them at a junction and by the time we reached the school, they had already gone up to class. We couldn’t resist peeping but we did it at the wrong moment. They seemed calm as they were putting their things in their cubbyholes, but then they spotted us. Nat started crying and clinging on to me as if her life depended on it.


I spent the next 10 minutes in class with her trying to calm her down and excuse myself but she wouldn’t let me go. Gigi was a lot braver, she sniffled but she didn’t look for her mummy. Eventually I escaped and we hung around outside class for a few minutes till the girls settled down.




Lunch was bak kut teh nearby, followed by some dessert prata at Prata Paradise. Then Swana and I made our way back to the school to resume spying on the kids. We lurked behind pillars and fences during dismissal, observing Nat and Gigi from a distance.




They seemed fine, and as soon as they boarded their bus, we hopped into a cab to await their arrival at my block. They came back all excited about having attended their first day of school, t-shirts tucked out like real sam-sengs! They survived their first day, and so did we!