Master of Ceremony @ our Anniversary

She's 7 now and boy! has she grown up! Super smart and super sensible!

March this year was our 15th wedding anniversary. It was a Manic Monday and we'd decided to keep it simple. Thats how both of us like it. We were all back from work, including our (not so little) T!
Before hubby and I knew it our little one had taken over. She had everything planned (with dear aunt and baby cousin).
A lovely song, self written, composed and sung (no wonder she wants to be a pop star). It goes like this - in her writing;
Dear aai and baba. I have a speshel song for you.

I love you,
and I want to thank you,
for all the things you do!

I know it's your aniwersery, 
and I want to wish you,
a very happy aniversery!

Loved that!
Well that wasn't all. There was a special treasure hunt for us. Together we had to excavate 4 cute cards our artist had made for our anniversary. What a memorable one! Reminded of parties and activities I used to plan for my parents and sisters' special days.

Touched, overwhelmed and super proud! Muah my rockstar!

Young theater goer

When we took young TV to opera (La Traviata), she appeared as a theater veteran among the suede audience. Just realized Tv she has been so good at all the shows she has been to - kids or otherwise and that she has been to a lot by now. Here's my attempt at listing them;
1. Gingerbread man (singapore) @ 18months
1a. Traditional Thai Puppet Show - Birth of Ganesha by Joe Louis at Aksara Theatre Bangkok
2. Boom Bah (singapore) @ 2 years
3. In the garden (singapore) @ 2 years
4. In the deep deep forest - mouse deer(singapore) @ 2 years
5. In the deep deep forest - ducks(singapore) @ 2 years
6. Numerous music shows at Esplanade Concourse (singapore) @ 2 years
7. Dumroo (music concert - Indian percusssion) (Empress Theater singapore) @ 2 years
8. Where is the green sheep - (singapore) @ 21/2 years
9. Disney on Ice - (singapore) @ 21/2 years
10. Saltbush – Children’s Cheering Carpet (Opera House, Sydney) @almost 3 years
11. Music for Tutus - Babies' Prom (Opera House, Sydney) @ 3 years
12. Grug - Sydney Childrens Festival @ 3 years
13. I want to be a mermaid - Babies' Prom (Opera House, Sydney) @ 3 years
14. Me and My Shadow (Opera House, Sydney) @ 31/2 years
15. Disney on Ice - (Syndey Olympic Park) @ 31//2 years
16. Masters of Percussion - Zakir Hussain Sydney Opera house Concert Hall @ almost 4 years
17. La Traviata - Opera on Sydney Harbor @ 41/2 years
18. We're going on a bear hunt - Ensemble Theater, Sydney @ 41/2 years
19. Cat in the Hat musical - SOH @ 5
20. Room on the Broom SOH @ 5
21. 20-20 Cricket Australia vs India SCG @5
Gruffalo's Child SOH @ 51/2
22. Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales DBS Arts Theatre SG @ 51/2 years
23. Moon Balloon Esplanade Recital Studio SG @ 51/2
24. Disney Live! The Mickey Mouse Magic Show Sand Theatre @ 6
25. Dont let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Alliance Francaise @ 6
26. Disneyland Hong Kong @ 6
27. The Mystique of Manganiyaars Esplanade Recital @ 61/2
28. Knuffle Bunny Ulu Pandan @ 61/2
29. Bali Agung Bali Theatre @ 61/2
30. Apsara Dance Siem Reap Cambodia @ 7
31. Vietnamese Water Puppet Show Thang Long Theatre Hanoi @ 7
32. Asha Bhosle - The last empress Star Theatre @71/2
33. Makan Mischief - Arts House @ 71/2
34. Cirque de Soleil Totem - The big top Marina Bay Sands @ 8
35. Child-Aid @ 8 (auditioned for it too)
36. Asha Bhosle - The last Empress @ 8
Be dune chaar
Salim Suleiman Concert
The Twits (played Raven)
Singapore Grand Prix
Sahi re Sahi
Gruffalo and other stories (feat Julia Donaldson and Family)
Chingay Parade
Wadali Brothers

journaling

Writing this journal, I've been doing it for years now - sometime regularly but most of the time not so. When I do not write, it really is that I do not have the time, energy or enthusiasm (or all 3) to write. But it is never that I dont have enough matter to write or good stories to write. Everyday is full of such exciting happenings around me (thanks to the hero of this journal), that it can be my full time profession - just to witness and write. And I realize, the more I make it a point to write these wonderful moments, the more I notice and enjoy them and more of them. And I'd love to do this job, full time - all the time! But I'm also doing the job of providing 'nourishing' dynamic setting for these moments to unfold - the regular chores and running errands, managing play dates and park plays, planning visits to library, museum, zoo and aquarium or simply tolerating all the mess in the house (sometimes adding to it too) and then tidying it up for another activity or event the next day (read more but different mess). And I'm also partly doing a full time job of curiosity quencher - answerer and reader and googler for all those 'tell me whys'. But if I dont write them, I know these key moments are lost forever. Hope I can make time to write, always.

observation

Kids are clever. Yes, more than us adults! Or should I limit this statement to just myself rather than generalizing it. Yesterday TV and I were back home from library. We love to take bus to the library and back. As we entered our building, TV exclaimed, 'look mom, Kevin has got a beautiful chair.' Kevin is our building manager who has a little office at the entrance. I looked at the chair, it was a normal sleek black office chair. He was not in the chair then. For a moment I thought then I asked TV, 'Is this new?' She nodded with a smile and repeated, 'and it is beautiful!' This morning when I met Kevin, I passed on TV's compliment. He looked visibly (and pleasantly) surprised for a moment and then said, 'she is clever. I changed this a couple of days back. The earlier one was bulky and I thought it was a little (ugly).' The earlier was not very different from the new one, now that I remember (ha). It was a black office chair, just a bit bigger and bulkier. (I hadn't even noticed that it was changed). 'She can sit on it, if she wants!' Kevin said, visibly impressed (not sure with what - my lil one or his choice of chair). But it sure seemed that this was the first time since he changed the chair, that anyone noticed and/or commented on it. To me, this just proves that kids are more observant (they see and remember a lot more than we do). They have a very open mind - that allows them to take inputs as they are - without judging whether it is important, relevant or significant. And most of all they are carefree - no thoughts of what to cook for dinner while entering the lobby or plans to tidy the house before cleaners arrive, or scampering the hand through a bag full of kid stuff to find a ringing phone. Whatever it is, kids are clever, they have a fresh mind - all the time, always willing to learn (and ask questions)

My birthday surprise

T: your bday is coming soon.
me: hmmm
T: we need to do special something.
me: hmmm. so what are you planning?
T: I dont know, you help me.
me: ask baba for help
T: why?
me: its MY bday. you need to plan something for ME -a surprise for me. Then on my bday, I'll see it surprised and say 'OMG, what a beautiful thing.'
T: maybe I could do a beeeautiful (we usually talk in adjectives and superlatives) painting for you.
Looks at me, pauses and says, 'I'm telling that to you NOW, now is not your bday. I wont tell it to you on your bday. then it will be a surprise to you.'
INNOCENCE personified!

valid question

Tvisha: mom, when I grow up will I be still a girl?
Me(driving her to school): of course
T: and Kian, will he still be a boy?
Me: yes
T: when I was a baby, I was a girl or a boy?
(driving me nuts)
Me: you were a girl when you were a baby, you are a girl now and you will always be a girl. (then a lil smarter side of me awakes) but why do you ask that?
T: because, I think all babies are boys and when they grow up some become girls and others become boys.

opened up my eyes lil one. never 'looked' at it this way. thanks for allowing me this privilege - of seeing the world in this special way. Also learnt a lesson (well yet again) - never evade, condone or doubt a child's questions - they always have a justified reason to ask.

photography workshop