Category: Family/From the Heart

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Crazy Busy

Yes! I had been crazy busy, no time to even go trim my hair or reshape my eyebrows nor a facial before Christmas.  The store had been so busy with customers shopping and buying everything off our shelves.  No complaining though but juggling Chloe and her many events that she is into and the manning the store, housework and then my online advertising work – definitely kept me up a lot of nights.  But I’m managing and once the Christmas rush is over, I am sure everything will return to normal.  In the meantime, friends and family from home had been sending tons of presents and stuff from Asia, so that I won’t be so home sick.  I’m definitely blessed.  I am also negotiating with my Spanish boss about my role with the new company – so busy, busy for sure.  Next year, I will be flying out occasionally with the engineers to USA whenever the job requires.  Yes, an adventure and something new next year – can’t wait.

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Awesome Parents & Teachers Meet This Year

We just came back from Parents and Teachers meet with Chloe’s home room teachers for her 1st term in Grade 4.  I have to say that this parents and teachers meet was by far the most wonderful, we have had.  Don’t get me wrong, her previous years were good too but this year, Chloe has met the expectations of her teachers as well as our own.

Like I’ve mentioned before, her teachers had always been so helpful and they try their very best to help with anything that Chloe may need or needs help with.  This year Chloe has 2 home room teachers and both had good report on Chloe’s progress and even though I had questions about some of Chloe’s marks, they explained quite clearly how Chloe’s results came about and that we need not worry about it.  Like every Asian parent, I have to say that I’m still a tiger mom inside, so an understanding of Chloe’s weaker subjects or stronger ones is a must for this mom – so that we can help her on her weaker subjects and improve on her stronger ones.

As mentioned to before, Chloe loves school and I’ve also noticed that this year, she isn’t running to us for help when she encounters problems as much as she used to – credit needs to go to her previous home room teacher who had encouraged that Chloe speak up for herself.  As we watch Chloe grow with her teachers year after year, we can see that she has definitely grown to love this school and all her teachers.  I’m happy about it because it’s so important that kids like their teachers and respect them and listens to them.  My hope is that Chloe continues to love school and learn to be a positive and honest person with integrity and never sweat the small stuff and in the meantime, study hard and play hard as well.

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Christmas Decor Up Early

This year, we had our Christmas tree and decorations up as soon as the Remembrance day is over.  Why?  because we wanted to spend more time with Chloe and helping her prepare for her birthday and also her recital as well as her school concert.  Plus, we know that Christmas season are usually  busy at the store.   I felt so good when the tree was up because Chloe loves Christmas so much.  This year we didn’t disappoint her by setting up the tree late like last year.  Hopefully, when it comes to taking it down, we won’t take too long either.  hehe!

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Bring Up Ms Chloe

I read a very interesting article the other day by a awesome friend from Australia and thought about how I can apply what I’ve read with Chloe.  But it also made me think of a recent incident with someone else’s kid, while I always tell Chloe not to sweat the small stuff unless she is hurt badly, this kid I know or thought I knew must have been taught differently at her home.

It made me quite sad to see both kids and parents behaving this way because I know that it cannot be good for both in the future but coming from a totally different culture, I held my tongue.  I pray to God that my relationship with Ms Chloe wouldn’t be this way in the future.

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Festive Season 2013

Life cannot be better, good friends, good neighbors and family enjoying the Christmas parade and having hot chocolate at our store.  We have been so blessed this year, receiving gifts and food from family and friends from away.  Packages of goodies and gifts coming in for Chloe since November and of course, we are also busy preparing for her birthday.  She is going to be 10 years old!  time sure flies.  This year, school is going so good, she has such a great home room teachers and PAs, I cannot be more thankful.

The store had been really busy and we  have been busy buying a new store and hoping to expand.  We don’t want to rent anymore as we have been in business for 14 years to date.  So buying will be the only reason why we will be moving.  Alot of things had going on at home in Singapore too,  my parents dividing their properties amongst us – the siblings and while PB has no intention of getting anything from them, he is transferring his share of the properties to Chloe instead.  So the lawyers are going back and forth with the signing of documents and I guess my Chloe is going to be kinda comfortable when she grows up.

Why are my parents doing this now?  because they don’t want us to end up like when my grandparents passed away and my uncles and aunts were fighting over -who should get what.  While I know that my siblings are quite relax about the will, my parents fears that it might cause ill – feelings between us, so they rather do it while they are alive.  Like PB said, we don’t want anything, we are not well off but we are pretty comfortable here in Canada.  But my parents insisted that we should get part of the properties they have *sigh* – therefore, PB transferred our share of the Chloe.

In the meantime, we are just keeping busy at the store, which is forever busy it seems but we are happy and very glad that my parents are healthy and we missed them as much as they do us.

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Christmas Comes Early

Guess who is so lucky?  Christmas came early for someone this year.  Someone must be very good this year ! hehe!  No need to be envious, I’m sure you will get one too if you let the spouse knows what you like all year round or if he knows you as well as mine does.  Yes, I’m truly blessed – I cannot ask for a better spouse, not only because he buys me anything i want or I like but because he listens to me and he talks with me and we plan everything together.  We are not spendthrift but when we do buy something, we know that it’s of good value and it wouldn’t go to waste.

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Blessings

Thank God for wonderful neighbors in the neighborhood and a friend who moved down the road from us recently.  It’s wonderful to be surrounded by good people and good children in the neighborhood.  Chloe gets many play dates with our new neighbor/friend and I cannot thank God enough for them. They come over often too and I see us doing more things together in the near future.   I’m very happy that a friend move nearby to us.  But of course my long time neighbor on my right are awesome too – so double blessings now and down the road, the Uptons are wonderful people as well. Their children are so good (they really taught their children well) and of course the Uptons themselves are friendly, warm and sincere folks.  Life is too short not to be surrounded by good ppl.

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This Is Where I Come From – Singapore

Especially for those who don’t know where Singapore is – or where I come from. I’m very proud of who I am and how I speak – I have no intention to change my accent at all – hhahaha!! I never did when I was in Glasgow for 4 years finishing my university, so why would I start now? hahahha! I really love the way I am – and your lost if you can’t accept me as I am.

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Property Prices Back Home

This was where I used to live back home and I bought this before I met PB.  Back then I bought this apartment at less than half a million with my CPF but the property prices has been going up every year.  The apartment is currently rented out for about $3.5 K a month and my cousins who are currently still living in Singapore are taking care of everything for me.  My apartment is fully furnished and my cousins tells me that I should be raising my rent at the end of the year.

I knew that it would be a good investment because property prices never goes down back home and I was right.  My cousins of course had wanted me to get a landed property back then but I wasn’t married, and didn’t think I needed a huge place plus I was always flying because of work.  Anyhow, I have been informed that the property that we owned now is worth a lot more and if I’m willing to sell, my cousins can get a good price for me.

But I’m thinking that this is a good investment for Chloe’s future and collecting rent on a monthly basis is so much more fun – don’t you think?  unless, I can sell it for the price I want, so my cousins are currently negotiating with a few potential buyers.  While I don’t need money at all here, I am not in a hurry to let my apartment go at all.  I’m just so lucky because PB pays for everything I need, from food, to anything I buy.  I’m totally blessed! what more can I ask for ?  so i rather keep the apartment for Chloe’s future.

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Oh My God!

OH MY GOD!  This is so ME!  when i saw this picture !  nothing in life ever puts me down – no matter what happens – I see things with optimism and anything that I come across in my life – I take it as something new that I’ve learned.  I hope to teach Chloe the same optimism and hope that she will also learn to not sweat the small stuff in life.