Our Little Twin Stars

Mummy's Say - Rest in Peace, Shin Na....

2009-01-28T23:28:00.005+08:00

I have been following Shin's Cancer Blog eversince I chanced upon this Channel 8 programme, 'In the Face of Death', sometime last year.

Shin was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in December 2005. She spent 2006 getting surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. In August 2007, her cancer came back. In February 2008, she learned the cancer had spread to her brain, liver, lungs, and bones.

Shin had fought the good fight, finally succumbing to her illness yesterday afternoon. Through her blog, she had touched many lives, mine included, with her immense love for her family (daughter Josie, son Toby and husband Tony) and the courage she showed in the face of the terrible disease which not only ravaged her body but her family life. However, she never once complained, berating her fate. On the contrary, she remained upbeat about life, never wasting a single moment of her remaining days, but doing what she loved best i.e. loving her family.

Rest in peace, Shin. Though I never had the good fortune to have known you personally, with your passing, I feel as if I've lost a dear old friend. I will miss your wicked sense of humour, your keen observations of life, your optimism....You know, how it's been said that God does things for a reason (don't worry, Shin, I'm not proselytizing. We all know your stance on that one)? Well, I know for sure, you have touched many people through what you've done with your life, and definitely through your blog, cos' I've most certainly been, and am appreciating what I have, i.e. my hubby and kids, even more. Thank you for sharing so much about you and yours and teaching us to be thankful for small mercies. Josie and Toby must be so proud to have you as their Mom, and Tony, his wife.

2009-01-02T23:15:00.000+08:00

Officially unveiled on 1 November 2008, the iconic Marina Barrage, the realization of a vision twenty years ago, looks set to boost Singapore's water supply, alleviate flooding in low-lying cit areas and become a hot spot for recreational activities. A dam built across the 350-metre wide mouth of the Marina Channel, the Marina Barrage creates Singapore’s 15th reservoir, and the first in the heart of the city.

While we may still be too young to understand what all that means, and the impact it will bring to our generation and beyond, there's one thing we sure do know - we now have one more big 'playground' to play in! Yippeee!!

Mummy's Say - The Twins are TWO!

2009-01-01T12:03:00.006+08:00

It seems like only yesterday that the munchkins were celebrating their 1st birthday and now, they're officially headed for their terrible twos! How time flies...and I'm already missing them and all their milestones - when we first laid eyes on them (what marvellous creations of God!), their first flip, when they started crawling, cruising, and subsequently, learning how to walk....The babes, they just grow up too fast...which makes it all the more crucial for us to cherish, relish and remember every single moment we have with them. It's times like these that hit me and make me truly realise how much I love my kids.

Celebrating their birthday in advance (30 Dec) @ their school

Jayden's fave character - Thomas the Tank Engine

Shannen's fave character - Hello Kitty
Aptly decorated cake (Little Twin Stars) on the actual day (1 Jan)

May all our wishes come true all year through

Mummies' Dear Old Friends

2008-12-28T23:26:00.007+08:00

This is Auntie Danni (Dione), Mummy's dear friend from secondary school who hails from Taiwan (but migrated to Canada, and now, residing in Taiwan). Back in Singapore for a week to settle some family affairs, Mummy met with her and Auntie Lip at the latter's place to do some much awaited catching up. Auntie Dione, Auntie Lip and Mummy

It was at Aunt Lip's place that Mummy tried the swiss rolls from the renowned Rich and Good Cake Shop (24, Kandahar Street, Tel: 6294 3324). The kaya swiss roll was yummy! The strawberry swiss roll was yummy! But the mango swiss roll must surely take the cake (pun not intended)! It was super yummilicious!!!

Mango swiss roll from Rich and Good Cake Shop

Ho Ho Ho!

2008-12-25T15:59:00.000+08:00

Mei Mei & I woke up this morning with great anticipation for it's Christmas day and time to unwrap our pressies! Lest we forget our manners, here's wishing all a Merry Christmas!

Starting off with the fgifts from Daddy & Mummy - Mei Mei received a storybook-cum-pillow and I, a battery-operated, motion-sensor car, which frightens Mei Mei & I to no end. Upon shaking it, there are sounds of the engine revving up and the car actually speaks *gasp*, before accelerating off, sending us scattering in both directions! Scary, boy!

And these lovely non-drip, non-flip water-bottles are from Auntie Von Von, one of our fave persons. A big, fat, slobbery kiss from us to you, AUntie Von Von *MUAKS*!

We've also received pressies from our dear Auntie Danni who's just returned from Taiwan for a visit. Auntie Danni is a very nice lady who simply adores kids. It was so kind of her to get all 3 of us clothes from Chateau de Sable, a French clothing line. Thanks, Auntie Danni!

Once again, Merry Christmas to all!

Silent Night, Holy Night @ Vivo City

2008-12-24T23:55:00.002+08:00

One year ago, at this time, we were also here at Vivo City, soaking in the sights and sounds of the festive spirit. Back then, we were still snug in our strollers, and not as mobile as we are now, and definitely not as the little 'terrors' that we are now, running here, there and everywhere.

Por Po, Gong Gong and us

Mummy's Say - Twilight ROXX! Edward Cullen's HOT!

2008-12-24T15:45:00.000+08:00

For the uninitiated, this must be the hottest teen movie to hit town in a while. Although Yours Truly is no spring chicken *hurhur*, lured by the hype surrounding this vampire-romance movie (or rather, the quadrilogy of books from Stephanie Meyer - Twilight, followed by New Moon, Eclipse and rounding off with Breaking Dawn), I made a date with Dear Hubby (who's clearing his leave) to catch this today.

Frankly speaking, I wasn't expecting great acting from the relatively young cast, considering its target 'tween-age' audience, and the rabid hysteria arising from the cult status generated by the series. But I must say that the two leads (Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson) enjoy pretty good chemistry, so much so that I was (and still is) swept away by the forbidden vampire-mortal romance. Edward Cullen...OMG! I just so dig that character (not Robert Pattinson, but the character depicted in the books). Such chivalry, such yearning, such devotion....Sigh! And oh, I simply love that vampire baseball scene, against the beautiful backdrop with MTV-style music playing in the background. It's literally Cool, with a capital 'C'!

I could go on and on about this movie, but 'nuff said. Just go catch it to relive those heady days of first love! :)

Mummy's Say - Little Girls are Made of Sugar & Spice & All Things Nice

2008-12-22T01:21:00.005+08:00

How time flies! The twins are fast approaching 2 years of age, or what is more popularly known as the 'terrible twos'. They have been picking up verbal skills and enhancing their motor skills rapidly. While Den Den has always been the one with stronger motor skills (he's able to slot in batteries and operate toys, fixing little kinks in the toys he plays with, etc.), Mei Mei is undoubtedly the one who's linguistically, more advanced. Sometimes, the words that she picks up, and the logical thought-process behind which she strings a sentence, surprise me. Below are excerpts of what she's said in recent incidents, and which still amaze me:

(This took place while I was bathing Shannen, after picking the twins up from school. )
Yours Truly: Shaen, Mummy is sad. Gor Gor didn't hold Mummy's hand just now while crossing the road
(Jayden didn't want to hold my hands, preferring to hold my dad's, on our way back from school). *cue sad expression, act of crying with moving fists near eyes*
Shannen: Mei Mei hold Mummy's hand *took my hand in hers* Gor Gor no good, no good. Mei Mei good *gave the thumbs up sign* Mummy don't cry.
(That was when half my heart sublimed, while the other, simply melted.)

This happened during dinner, while I was feeding Shannen. As usual, she was proving to be a challenge to feed, with the tendency to spit out every mounthful of food. My patience wearing thin, with the cane in hand, I reached out for her hand, intending to give her a little smack to serve as deterrent. That was when she said, 'Mummy, don't beat, don't beat, Mei Mei good *gave the thumbs up sign with both hands* Mei Mei eat.' Feeling sorry for being harsh, I put away the cane, and Shannen never spat out her food again, at least not during the rest of her dinner that night.

(Another one went something like this:)
Yours Truly: Shannen, are you a good girl?
Shannen: Yes, Mei Mei good.
Yours Truly: What about Gor Gor?
Shannen: No good, no good.
Yours Truly: What about Daddy & Mummy?
Shannen: Daddy good. Mummy good.
Yours Truly: Didi?
Shannen: Cannot walk yet.
Yours Truly: !!!

Thanks for Popping by

2008-12-19T23:09:00.005+08:00

Although Mummy has left her ex-company, SingTel, more than a year ago, she still maintains in touch with many of her ex-colleagues. Some of those who recently dropped by to visit Mummy and me included Auntie Rena & Auntie Geraldine, as well as Auntie Angelina. Mummy enjoyed meeting up with her old friends and hope to have the opportunity to catch up with them again some time soon (else, perhaps at my 1st-year birthday party!)

Auntie Rena & Auntie Geraldine

Auntie Angelina and Mummy

Banana & Strawberry Smoothie

2008-12-07T23:48:00.002+08:00

Ingredients:
6 ripe strawberries (we used the Korean ones)
2 bananas (Del Monte or those 'red flesh' bananas or 'ang ba jio')
1/2 cup of low fat milk
5 tablespoonfuls of low-fat vanilla yoghurt

Process:
Mix the above ingredients in the food blender. Add ice cubes (estimation). Blend at high power till texture is rich and a froth is seen.

A simple recipe, yet a healthy and yummilicious beverage! Enjoy!

Ben & Jerry's Chunk Fest

2008-12-06T22:38:00.002+08:00

Being a huge Ben & Jerry ice-cream fan, ever since Mummy read about B&J's upcoming Chunk Fest in the papers a few weeks back, she had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this big day with bated breath. Apparently, at this B&J event, there would be 12 new flavours introduced from the States. In fact, she had even toyed with the idea of forming a team of four to take part in the B&J ice-cream eating contest with Auntie Lena, Auntie Von and Daddy. Yup, you've said it, she's a real fanatic when it comes to B&J ice-cream. But considering that she still has much to shed after giving birth to Didi, she had to perish the thought, albeit with much reluctance.

So, with the big day finally here, we made our way down to Fort Canning Park, hoping to have some yummilicious ice-cream treats. But boy oh boy, what a huge jam at the car park, with nary a lot in sight! In the end, Daddy parked our car some distance away, and our entire lorong had to trudge up several flights of steps, through wet and slippery dirt tracks before finally reaching the 'hallowed grounds'.

But alas, what greeted us were lots of big Gors Gors and Jies Jies (teenagers) in funny dos, a smoke-filled atmosphere (almost all present were lighting up) and deafening rock music from the concert which frightened Didi a little, hardly the family carnival atmosphere which Mummy had envisioned for weeks. As for the ice-cream, let's not even go there. Probably cos' it was FOC, the queue for it stretched for almost an eternity, with easily a few hundred people ahead of us. Faced with such daunting prospects, Daddy & Mummy decided to head back to the car. How disappointing!

And since we didn't get to have our ice-cream fix, yet to end off the night on a high note, Daddy & Mummy took us to MacDonald's at Kallang for some milkshakes and McFlurys. Reliable comfort food which tasted just as good, we like!!

Mummy's Say - Look at what you have done, again, Jayden Boy!

2008-11-28T22:07:00.009+08:00

A strange call came through this evening and it went something like this:

Moi: Hello

Caller: Hello, is this 63xx xxx0?

Moi: Yes, it is, and you are....?

Caller: I'm calling from the Police.

Moi: ...*stunned silence*. Yes?

Caller: Someone from your place has been dialling 999 non-stop for the past 5 minutes. You have young children at

home? It's been jamming up our line here.

Moi: *JAYDEN BOY!!!! (He was playing with the handset a while ago)* Oh! Oops, I'm very, very sorry. It must have

been my boy. I will make sure that he doesn't do it again. So sorry....

Caller: Sure, thanks. By the way, how old is your son?

Moi: Errmm...23 months....

Caller: Oh, that's rather young!

Moi: Yah, sorry again, I will see to it that he doesn't dial 999 for fun again.

Caller: Alright, thanks! By the way, who am I speaking to?

Moi: Visible gasp *Am i about to chalk up a criminal record on behalf of my notti boy?* Errmm...Michelle.

Caller: Ok, thanks, Michelle. Bye. Click.

The Sale Worth Waiting For - Crocs!

2008-11-14T23:01:00.001+08:00

Today's the 1st day of the Crocs sale at the Singapore Expo and Daddy & Mummy wasted no time in rushing down to grab some bargains.

Upon reaching, Daddy & Mummy were taken aback by the sheer size of the crowd. If you didn't know better, you would think that everything's a free-for-all. Nevertheless, Mummy and Daddy demonstrated the same Singaporean mentality (as with the rest in the crowd, albeit with more class and grace *hee*), in pushing through to the front to grab the shoes of their choice. Kudos to Auntie Von, who had reached there earlier, for her help in securing some shoes for us as well, along with those for her 2 darlings.

However, what was meant to be a 'chop-chop' bargin hunting trip of 1-1.5 hours, turned into a 3-hour painful stay at the sale, what with all the pushing and shoving, and worst of all, the poorly planned queue system for payment.

Oh well, but like the guy, behind Mummy and Auntie Von in the queue, said, ''If you want to get cheap branded stuff, you will have to brave the 'elements' - crowds and long waiting time. So live with it!''.

The spoils of the bargain hunting (shoes for all 3 of us and Daddy. Mummy would have none of Crocs cos' she thinks that they make her look like Ronald MacDonald when worn)

Jibbitz to accessorise our shoes with

Mummy's Milk is Yummy Milk

2008-11-13T22:34:00.000+08:00

Knowing that breast milk is best, Mummy has been diligently expressing her breast milk everyday for my consumption, to keep me well-nourished. At any one time, there are 2 days' worth of supplies in the fridge for my feeds.

At the Dr. Lim's clinic today (Mummy took me there for my 6-in-1 vaccination), Mummy was pleased to note my growth - at 7 weeks, I'm now 5.4kg and 59cm in height (my birth weight was 3.255kg and length, 48cm) - and all the more convinced of the goodness of nature's best.

Breast milk a happy & chubby baby makes

Happening Weekend!

2008-11-09T23:15:00.016+08:00

This weekend saw a couple of visitors to our humble abode - Uncle Hong Tat on Saturday and Auntie Von Von & family on Sunday.

If you can recall, Uncle Hong Tat's Mummy's ex-colleague from SingTel. Mummy says he's a gem of a guy with a big heart and is very popular amongst the girls (as well as guys). Either he's not telling the truth, or the girs around him do not have the good fortune, he's still an eligible bachelor till date. Nevertheless, Uncle Hong Tat, jia you, k!

My Uncle Hong Tat and Moi

The last time we saw Auntie Von Von was when we went to to Singapore Flyer together. At that time, both Mummy and Auntie Von Von were heavily pregnant with our Didi and Regine Mei Mei respectively.

Auntie Von Von came to visit us laden with toys for both Mei Mei and me, which was so sweet of her. Together with Uncle John, she brought along Rachel Jie Jie and Regine Mei Mei. The latter are the spitting images of each other, just like Auntie Von Von likes to say that I'm the spitting image of Mummy. *Hee*

And since it was lunch-time when Auntie Von Von & family came, we adjourned to Swensens at Parkway Parade where we had another yummilicious lunch and naturally, rounding it off with ice-cream!

Regine Mei Mei, who's 5 days older than our Didi, sleeping sweetly

Rachel Jie Jie, who's 2 days older than us.

Mei Mei and I doing our fave pose - Apple Face!

Didi's 1st Month Celebration

2008-10-27T23:37:00.002+08:00

If you had thought that the mini celebration last Friday was all there was to Didi's 1st month celebration, well, think again.

Daddy & Mummy booked a chalet at Goldkist Beach Resort on the Deepavali public holiday, inviting their colleagues and friends to join in the celebrations.

(L) Auntie Lip & Auntie Gwen (R) Auntie Yen Lin & our fave Uncle Hong Tat

Daddy's friends & colleagues

Although the celebration was in Didi's name, guess that we both enjoyed the party the most, what with the food, lots of aunties and uncles and open spaces for us to get into mischief.

Look at our perspiration-soaked hair!

A family pic - Say cheez!
The birthday boy sleeps soundly, blissfully unaware of the day's events

Didi is 1 Month Old Today!

2008-10-24T23:51:00.002+08:00

Today's Didi's 1st-month birthday. We had a mini-celebration at home, complete with the traditional red eggs and a yummy chocolate cake. As a symbolic gesture, Daddy also snipped a little of Didi's newborn hair for keepsake, along with his dried-up umbilica cord stump. These are kept together with ours as well, for olden saying has it that when siblings' newborn hair and umbilica cord stumps are placed together, the bonds amongst them will be strengthened, with their hearts united as one. Whoa!

Hmmm...seems like the yummy chocolate cake is a regular fixture in the Heng family Happy 1st month birthday, Didi!

The Twins' 1st Day at School!

2008-10-16T23:28:00.015+08:00

Today marks the 1st day that we attend school (childcare service @ YWCA. Daddy & Mummy chose this childcare centre for its proximity to our home). Although we'd attended classes before (Kindermusik, Julia Gabriel's and Growing Up Gifted), this time round, we will be spending close to 10 hours per day, Mon-Fri, exploring and learning new things, interacting with other children, without the accompaniment of Daddy & Mummy.

Gor Gor & I tucking into our breakfast of bread (with kaya) and milk

To minimise any separation anxiety on our part, today, Daddy & Mummy sat in with us in class which commenced with breakfast at 8am, followed by the songs and games segment at 830am.

Though we were surrounded by a sea of foreign faces, we felt secure knowing that Daddy & Mummy were with us every step of the way. As you can see, we particularly enjoyed the songs & games and playing with the toy kitchen set.

Are we looking forward to coming back tomorrow? You bet!

More on our Didi!

2008-10-05T19:05:00.014+08:00

Mummy finally has some time to upload Didi's pictures. Here are some to share with all.

'Hey, didi, this used to be my cot, ya know!'
Mummy says that Didi bears a striking resemblance to me (in my early months) in this picture

Didi trying his darnest to expunge a burp

Daddy & Mummy said that these gifts (the two behind us) are from Didi to us. Hmmm...strange that Didi knew what we like and how did he find the time to buy these for us....

To celebrate Didi's 12 days of age, our family tucked into this dish of pig's trotters in vinegar and dark sauce (according to Chinese customs, this is the signature dish to celebrate all newborns' 12th day of arrival). Mummy is not exactly wild about this dish, but Daddy and Gong Gong sure attacked it with relish.

The Arrival of our Didi!

2008-09-29T23:52:00.001+08:00

Introducing the latest addition to our family - Our Didi, Jonaven!

Mummy's waterbag had started to leak on Wed morning, and on her gynae's (Dr. Chan who also delivered the both of us) advice (the scan showed that her amniotic fluid was lower than usual, though her cervix had yet to be dilated), it was not wise to wait for a natural delivery due to the risk of foetal distress.

Thus, Mummy was scheduled for a C-section (with epidural, cos' Mummy summoned all her courage with the dogged determination to witness Didi's arrival, having undergone GA for our birth) in the evening.

And ta-da! Our Didi arrived in the evening of 24 September, all 3.255kg of him!

Mummy will be posting more pics and details once she's more time. As for now, she has her hands full with breastfeeding Didi, watching over us to ensure that we don't get into mischief, while coping with her post-Caesarean recovery.

Happy Birthday, Por Por

2008-08-23T23:57:00.004+08:00

We celebrated Por Por's birthday (in advance) at Peach Garden restaurant today. Having heard so much hype about the food at Peach Garden, we're happy to report that the restaurant certainly lives up to its reputation, though if the prices there were less 'fanciful', it would have been perfect.

L-R: Yi Por, Gong Gong, Por Por and us

Coincidentally, tonight's the last night of the fireworks display, rounding up the National Day celebrations. Thus, Daddy & Mummy decided to try their luck by heading towards the direction of the Esplanade, hoping to catch some of the action. As traffic slowed to a crawl on the Esplanade, and eventually the ECP, we managed to catch the brilliant display of fireworks which lit up the night sky. It was definitely nothing like what we've seen before. And Mummy was remarking to Daddy that the last time they'd witnessed the fireworks display at the Esplanade was in 2006, when we were both still snug in Mummy's belly!

Brilliant display of fireworks

The Singapore Flyer

2008-08-16T17:46:00.002+08:00

Today marks a day of 'high-flying' adventure for us. Thanks to Uncle John who managed to secure tickets at $10 each (kids below 3 enter for free), we joined the Chan family on an exhilarating experience at the Singapore Flyer.

L-R: Rachel, Shannen & Jayden, all psyched up about the ascent

Vertigo is the furthest thing from young minds

After a delightful experience at the Singapore Flyer, Mummy and Auntie Von both had a craving for dim sum at Red Star restaurant so off we went, for a yummilicious dim sum lunch. What a fantabulous way to end off a morning of great fun!

A Trip to the Hairdressers'

2008-08-05T23:36:00.002+08:00

Noticing that our manes have started looking more untamed, Daddy & Mummy decided that a trip to the hairdressers' was absolutely necessary. Mummy even remarked to Daddy that Gor Gor's starting to look more like a mushroom, while I, with my thick and overgrown mane, was looking like a female version of Bruce Lee in the 70s. D-UH!

While Gor Gor's gotten his locks shorn a couple of times at the hairdressers', it was my maiden experience having my hair professionally cut. Before you let out an audible gasp, I've to clarify - my hair has been trimmed many a times, not by any professional hairdresser, but if you must know, it has always been by Daddy, who prides himself as a nifty amateur hairstylist. Unfortunately, Mummy doesn't share his sentiments.

Gor Gor doesn't look too happy having his locks snipped. But this is already considered his best behaviour. In the past, Gor Gor wouldn't have hesitated to shove the hairdresser's hand away from his hair and howled at the top of his voice

Deciding that I have a rather petite face, the hairdresser thought it better to give me a 'china-doll' hairstyle. Mummy thinks I still look like a female version of Bruce Lee but at least, I can see better now that my eyes are not covered by my fringe.

Apple Faces!

2008-08-02T23:07:00.000+08:00

Mummy just taught us a new pose recently. Each time she shouts, 'Apple Face', this is the pose we strike! Hee!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2008-06-23T23:56:00.001+08:00

It's Daddy's birthday today, and that can only mean one thing - more CHOCOLATE CAKE!! Yum-yum! But not forgetting that we love you tons, Daddy dearie. We wish that you, Mummy, BB Didi, together with us, will stay happy and healthy everyday...on a daily diet of CHOCOLATE CAKE!!!! *hee*

This Bakerzin Chocolate Amer cake looks yummilicious! And it cost Mummy a bomb too!

The family that eats lots of chocolate cake, stays happy together!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T23:59:00.000+08:00

Today's Father's Day! Of course, we didn't exactly verbalize our well-wishes to our Daddy, but we were extra cuddley towards him, in our own little way of showing our affections for our hero!

Today's also the day that we're having a popiah party at Uncle Desmond's place, where we will see our cousins, Victoria Jie Jie and Allegra Mei Mei, as well as our cousins from Laos, Sara and Shanae Jie Jies and Seth Gor Gor, yeah!

Mummy and her dear cousin, Auntie Cecilia who currently resides in Laos with her pastor hubby, Uncle Ian, and children, Sarah, Seth and Shanae
All ready to take a dip in the pool!
Pretty Shanae Jie Jie and me

Jayden Gor Gor sure has a huge 'package'!

L - R: Shanae, Sarah, Seth & Victoria

Power to the Fathers!

Our Brand New Tri-mobiles

2008-06-15T23:34:00.001+08:00

See our spanking new tricycles? Ain't they kewl? We think so too! While relishing our joy rides, we can also sit back and relax, while revelling in the super kewl melodies emitted at the press of a button! Awesome!

As they say, you really can't keep a boy and his '(pong pong) ball' apart.

Bye Bye for Now, GUG!

2008-06-14T23:59:00.004+08:00

After 2 terms at Growing Up Gifted, today's our last session with our beloved friends and teachers. Boo-hoo! Mummy knows that we're sad, but due to her growing tummy, she's been finding it tough to keep pace with the music and dance which we go through. Mummy says to take a break from the classes, but we could jolly well be back for more next year, which we sure hope!

A picture to remember of our teachers - Teachers Zee, Lafa and Ina

Mummy's Birthday Celebrations

2008-05-30T23:48:00.004+08:00

Ever since we entered Mummy's life, Mummy claims that everyday brings to her newfound joy, not to mention that her birthday celebrations are now all the more memorable and ultra special.

Mummy's birthday celebration this year spans across 2 days - On the eve of her birthday, Por Por and Gong Gong treated her to a delicious Thai meal at the renowned Thanying Palace (Amara Hotel). Though the food was too spicy and tangy for us to try, we could tell from the looks on the adults' faces that the cuisine was yum yum good! Mummy particularly enjoyed the stuffed chicken wings, basil pork and stir-fried peppercorn beef.

Oooh, look at the dark chocolate cake Daddy got for Mummy from Rive Gauche (so chi-chi sounding, yar?)! Doesn't it look simply divine?

Yum-yum, our favourite part of the celebration comes!

Make a wish, make a wish, quick! So that we can all dig in!

And if you thought that that was all, think again. After stuffing ourselves silly with the divine dark chocolate cake, we barely had time to digest before being huddled into the car, and off to The Line @ the Shangri La Hotel we went to enjoy a sumptuous buffet lunch, compliments of Daddy!

That's all to the feasting, folks! Mummy says that she has easily gained 1kg just from the 2 days of gorging alone!

My Farewell Lunch @ Ellenborough Market Cafe (Merchant Court Hotel)

2008-05-22T23:34:00.006+08:00

It's with mixed feelings that I'm leaving HDS.

Excited - what with the challenges that await me at the new place; relieved - that I no longer need to be away from the babes (no more regional travelling); yet sad, that I'm going to leave a swell bunch of people - colleagues in the below photos - who have injected much fun, humour and support into my life, during my short stint with the company. Sob....

Front (L to R): Ken, moi, Catherine, Derek

BAck (L to R): Aris, Jeff, Ted, Colin

Yours Truly & Catherine, my sweet

Little Cycling Enthusiasts

2008-05-19T23:31:00.002+08:00

Seeing that today's a Public Holiday (Vesak Day), Daddy and Mummy took us cycling @ the East Coast Park, though strictly speaking, it was Daddy cycling, while we took turns hitching a joy ride behind. What great fun it was, having the wind run through our hair, and taking in all the wonderful sights, smells and sounds.

Adventures @ the Zoo (II)

2008-05-04T23:11:00.024+08:00

Hello, Zoo! Missed us? We said we would be back, didn't we?

This time round, we were back with a vengeance, hoping to cover as much ground as possible, and to complete all the remaining zoo exhibits in 3.5 hours. But with so many animals to see, so little time, not to mention that it was so very hot, with so many mozzies, wish us luck!

Wake up, sleepyhead!

On this trip, we got to meet Inuka, the cute polar bear. But Mummy said that his cute and cuddley looks belie an aggressive nature (polar bears are known to be aggressive predators of small mammals like seals and sealions). But we think that he's one lucky bear, for how many animals at the zoo get to have his own air-conditioned enclosure and a big pool for his playful romps?

At the Splash Amphitheatre, we came across the manatees, sealions and penguins. Seeing the latter face-to-face, we finally understood why the famous Japanese cartoon character, Tuxedo Sam, is named as such. The penguins simply look so smart in their black-&-white suits!

We also saw many familiar animals at Wild Africa, which we've seen on National Geographic. There was the lone lion *grrrr...*, cheetahs, rhinoceros, zebras and our fave - the giraffes!

Mummy & her sweetheart against the backdrop of the majestic giraffes

We stopped by the Garden with a View to pause for a picture with the statue of Ah Meng the orang-utan, Singapore Zoo's icon, which passed away last year. Over there, we came across a mini-shed of rabbits and guinea pigs and couldn't resist feeding and patting them. Such lovely and gentle creatures, just like us! Haha!

MILCA (Mainly I Love Cute/Cuddley Animals) - A pat & a stroke for the guinea pig and rabbit

In loving memory of Ah Meng

One big buaya, and a little one in the making *hee*

Further along, we chanced upon the Children's World Play Land. Even Daddy & Mummy looked surprised to find a kiddy playground at the zoo. Daddy and Jayden Gor Gor had a splashing fun time at the wet-&-wild area, while I, simply enjoyed my time on the swing.
Jayden going topless at the Children's World Play Land

Swinging good times! Higher & faster, please!

Till our next visit, Jayden & Shannen, out!

Mummy's Say - Hot Pot with Hot Mamas

2008-04-19T23:26:00.004+08:00

It's been a long while since I last met up with my dear forum Mummy friends, so it was indeed timely for Von to organise the gathering at Coca Steamboat on Tuesday, towards which I had anticipated with girlish excitement.

With a total of 14 Mummies (moi included) and 5 tots, it was a raucous affair with friendly jibes (mostly between Tona and Von), parenting tips being exchanged and clamourings to cuddle the tots. It was my first time meeting some of the Mummies there - Faith, Foo Bee and Trisha - which was great as I could finally put a face to an alias, all the more so since Foo Bee has now relocated to KL with her hubby (and was due back in KL that very night) and Trisha was back from Holland (where her hubby's posted) for a short break. To top it off, what followed after lunch was a delightful chocolate cake ordered by Von for Sherl to celebrate the latter's belated birthday. Yummy!

Great sauce dip (well, in the absence of MK, Coca reigns supreme), yummilicious cake and even greater company - what more could one ask for?

L-R: Von, Tona, Yours Truly & Foo Bee

(L) Tona and Jane - 加油!

(R) Happy Belated Birthday, Sherl!

A Spooky Encounter on a Hot, Stuffy Night

2008-04-08T23:17:00.002+08:00

I'm sure all of you agree that it's been freakingly hot lately (no thanks to global warming). And true to the old adage of 'it never rains but pours', my silly air-conditioning system chose to break down at this time and the even sillier air-con repair company, faced with manpower resources (bah, like it was my problem...yah, actually it became mine), could only send their guys down to fix it on Wednesday morning. So darned, faced with no choice, we've been turning to the trusted fan to circulate stale air in the room for the past few nights. And the poor kids, not used to sleeping through the night in such humid air, would toss and turn in their sleep, letting loose a few cries every now and then.

Then, Hubby Dearest came up with an ingenious idea. He reckoned that since the hall was cooler in the night (our living room faces a park of sorts and also due to the more powerful ceiling fan), all four of us - 2 Big, 2 Small - should just camp out in the hall. Baulking at the thought of lying there, being so exposed, when there's the maid in the house as well, I came up with an even better idea - Hubby Dearest and Den Den to camp out in the hall while Shaen and Mummy hold the fort in the bedroom (well, 2 less pax in the room equates to less carbon dioxide being emitted which equates to more fresh air for the other 2 to sleep soundly through the night)! So there it was, a well-laid plan which was put to action the next night.

'Jer jer jer jer...ba ba ba....' I stirred from my sleep, roused by the strange sounds. Time-check on the radio-clock showed 3am. With eyes half open, I barely made out the shape of Shaen, sitting on the bed beside me, staring straight ahead towards the foot of the bed, and conducting a coversation with a third party. Gasp! Terrified that I was, but also anxious to protect my child from whatever was plaguing her from sleep, I forced myself, albeit with half-closed eyes, to look in the direction of her gaze. YIKES, for there it was, the shape of a little boy, with his head cocked to his left, staring straight at the both of us! I froze, literally, too terrified to scream...until my senses finally took control.... It was JAYDEN BOY!!!!!

Apparently, that little boy woke up from his sleep to find himself in a strange environment. So he did what came naturally i.e.to head straight back to his cot in Daddy and Mummy's room, albeit in the dark. And as expected, Hubby Dearest, who slept like a log was oblivious to the entire episode even though his darling son was supposed to have been sleeping just right beside him. Scooping Den Den up and placing him back into this cot, this poor harried mummy set about patting the twins to sleep, though by then, both tots were pretty wide awake and babbling to each other excitedly, probably about the little prank they had just played on her....

Long Time No Swim!

2008-04-05T22:56:00.007+08:00

It's been such a long while since we last took a dip in the pool - to be precise, since 2 Jan this year, just before we checked out of Aloha Resorts after our 1st-year birthday bash on New Year's Day! But then, Mummy had kept us away from the pool for good measures - either Jayden Gor Gor & I took turns in getting sick or our vaccination schedules didn't allow it (lowered immunity systems).

So, it was with great thrill and excitement that we got reacquainted with our dear old friends i.e. the cool sparkling waters of the pool and our cutie floaties! *hee*

Warming up to our dear old friend

I really enjoy getting my feet wet

(L) Quick, get me a Pina Colada!
(R) Jayden Gor Gor is his K(N)S-100

(L) Own time, own target

(R) That's all, folks!

And guess what? Mummy met her ex-SingTel colleagues - Aunties Geraldine, Rena and Wei Ping - at the pool. What a pleasant surprise! They were there with their children for the latter's 1st swimming lesson! So many Gors Gors & Jie Jie, we like! We hope to meet up with them regularly during our weekly swims! Ooohhh...so happening, can hardly wait!

Auntie Rena with Sam Di Di, Auntie Wei Ping & Auntie Geraldine

Happy Birthday, Victoria Jie Jie

2008-03-30T23:17:00.003+08:00

Today's a special day for Victoria Jie Jie (she's the elder daughter of Mummy's cousin Desmond and his wife, Maureen). It marks the day that she turns 5!!

Auntie Maureen planned a special birthday party for Victoria Jie Jie at KFC @ The Playground (East Coast Parkway), replete with games & music, a clown and even a big, fat rooster!

We had fun just soaking in the sights of the party, since we're still too young to join in the games, and eating the mashed potato and slivers of chicken that Mummy & Daddy fed us. But I think Mummy & Daddy probably had more fun than we did, since they were both busy wolfing down the Original Recipe and Hot & Crispy chicken pieces, delivered piping hot from the kitchen (Mummy has been developing cravings for KFC lately, while Daddy's...u know, Daddy just loves to eat *hee).

Shannen Mei Mei 'sayang-ing' the birthday girl

Adventures @ the Zoo (I)

2008-03-22T23:14:00.004+08:00

Thanks to the corporate zoo passes which Por Por secured, we finally made our 1st trip to the zoo! Yippee!!!!

It was a hot, humid and cloudy day, but we were thankful that the skies did not open that morning. Armed to the hilt with supplies for the trip, Mummy had in her bag, mosquito patches - which she lost no time in sticking onto our clothes and strollers to keep the mozzies at bay - bread, biscuits and water.

We followed the path which led us to the Treetops Trail where the False Gavials (alligator look-alikes) and Siamangs inhabit, followed by the Otters, Pygmy Hppos, Warthogs, White Tigers, Kangaroos/Wallabies, Hamadrays Baboons and finally the Elephants. We particularly liked the Kangaroos/Wallabies, Otters and Pygmy Hippos.

@ the Hamadryas Baboo enclosure

As we were getting cranky and tired, due in part to the weather, we had to end the trip with the Elephant Show. Today's trip only saw us covering1/4 of the zoo exhibits. But Mummy said we should be back at the zoo very soon, with Por Por already applying for next trip's zoo passes, hurray! We sure hope to view the giraffes, lions and polar bears soon!

Mummy said that it's a shame that Ah Meng (the beloved icon - she's a grand dame of an orang utan - of our zoo who passed away a couple of months back) was no longer around. But to us, every animal looked fascinating. We bet that with all the gawking at them, the animals had found us 'interesting' too!

See you later, alligator!

I love my Daddy, so much so that I dress like him too!

Mummy's Say - Give Thanks

2008-03-21T23:33:00.003+08:00

I just came back from a gathering today, during which I found out that one of my good friends just had a miscarriage. And I was still happily asking her if 'it' was gonna be a boy or girl this time round....:( Dunno why, but this knowledge of her recent loss has brought about an emotional catharsis....

To be able to conceive, hold your pregnancy through without any complications, or to deliver a healthy baby - all these are blessings, or simply out, a privilege for which one should give thanks. It should never be relegated to something that's taken for granted. You know, I've come across many insensitive souls who had passed remarks like 'Eh, I don't understand how come she's so weak. When I was pregnant, I was never sick or had so many problems with my pregnancy', or 'She must have done something taboo during her pregnancy, for her child to be inflicted with this condition.' Duh!!! Excuse me, but are these people lacking a sensitivity chip or what? Every pregnancy is different, and so is each woman's constituition. You very certainly can't use your own benchmark on others. So please, do not judge others going through this similar process for each one's journey could well be very different.

Take my case for example. When I had the twins, my pregnancy was fraught with complications - placenta previa, premature contractions, etc. which led to my being hospitalised for a good 10 weeks before I delivered them in my 36th week. Trust me, those 10 weeks were the darkest moments of my life. Imagine being on CRIB (Complete Rest in Bed) for a good whole part during that period, doing almost all your business in bed and facing the same 3 walls and windows for 70 days in a row, lying in bed and crying over fears of the babies not being able to make it....And compounding my emotions then was news that 2 of the forum mummies (Twins/Triplets thread) had just lost their twins & triplets in the 19th-22nd weeks, with one mummy hospitalised right under the same roof as me (Mount Alvernia). You tell me, if you would have cracked under those circumstances. If not for my faith, I would not have held on as well as I did, and my darlings might not have had a fighting chance. And I think I've earned the right to say that I appreciate my kids and life just a little bit more than some mothers out there, having gone through what I did. And naturally, I still count my blessings each day for what I have.

Hope that you folks reading this won't take this to be a rant from someone emotionally unstable (though I've license to be, given my surge in hormones now *wink*). Guess what I'm trying to say is that, should you be blessed enough to conceive easily or enjoy a complication-free pregnancy, take a moment to give thanks. After all, we (and not someone else) are indeed blessed to be appointed guardians of our precious darlings.

Julia Gabriel

2008-03-15T22:58:00.008+08:00

After having heard so much about Julia Gabriel (JG), Mummy signed me up for a trial class today. As Jayden Gor Gor just had his chickenpox vaccine recently, Mummy has been advised to keep him away from crowds lest he contracts any viruses now that his immune system is down. Thus, I was on my own today. How I missed my Gor Gor :(

Like the Growing Up Gifted (GUG) class which we're currently attending, the JG class started with 20 mins of free play, before delving into song-&-dance, mystery animal in the magic box and story-telling. I like the teachers very much, especially the one with a flower in her hair. She seems so lively and nice! :)

There was also a creative arts session where we played with colours. See the beautiful rainbow fish (below) which I've coloured with Mummy's help. After all the 'hard work', we had a 10 min-break in which we feasted on yummylicious Maple Arrowroot cookies, compliments of JG. It was so yummy that I had a second helping. Mummy took a bite and also found it very yummy (so much so that she rushed down to Cold Storage at night to get us a pack of the goodies!)

My masterpiece

But the most exciting segment must have been the outdoor play session - water play. Although I was initially quite shy, having to strip to my diapers (I'm a girl-girl, mah!), I soon overcame my inhibitions cos' Daddy & Mummy have not brought us swimming for quite some time and this comes close to that. Boy, the water-play sure was fun!

Mummy was planning to sign us both for JG, but as the new term for PlayNest starts next week, and our GUG class term is still in session, Mummy says it's best to wait till we're older (20 months) before signing us both for the 2-hr bilingual PlayClub.

See you then, JG, in 6 months' time!

Going Potty

2008-03-14T22:31:00.002+08:00

Mummy has started training us on the potty since a few weeks ago. At the first signs of any strained faces, Mummy would rush to put us on the potty, with her acccompaniment of 'ngmm...ngmm' to help us offload the highly anticipated 'gold bars'. Well, sometimes it pays off, while other times, hmmm...let's just say that we like setting off our Mummy Dearest into a tizzy, just for the fun of it! *hee hee*

I love my throne. Maybe if I were to sit here long enough, I could hatch a golden egg!

Jayden Gor Gor in deep concentration. As they say, you can't rush a good poo!

Mummy's Say - I Left My Heart in San Francisco (25 Feb - 5 Mar 08)

2008-03-08T15:32:00.030+08:00

This trip marks the longest I've ever been away from the babes - 10 days.

In Santa Clara for work from 25-28 Feb, Baobei flew down to join me as I extended my U.S trip for leisure (cos' 'somebody' was hankering to relive the good 'ol shopping experience at the outlets during our last West Coast trip). From Santa Clara, we headed down to the biggest and newst Toys r Us outlet at San Jose to load up on toys for the babes (this trip was partly devoted to them). Following this., we headed down to the Gilroy premium outlets where it was non-stop shopping for the kids - Carter's, The Children's Place, Gymboree and Oshkosh B'Gosh. Unfortunately, as it was only the start of spring over there, the clothes there were mostly coldwear i.e. sweaters, long-sleeved tops, etc. Compared to our baby apparel spree back in 'May '04, the stash this time round was not as good. Baobei, as usual, had no problems parting with his money - Levi's, Gap, Timberland, Adidas, he came out from each store loaded with great finds. Good for him! The above was repeated when we headed down to Vacaville, another huge premium outlet mall located near SF, having decided that we should make the most out of this trip. Baby-wear was so-so, while you-know-who went on his 2nd round of spree. :P

Outlet Shopping

Bountiful harvest for the kiddos

Aside from the outlet shopping, we re-traced our steps from our '04 West Coast USA trip and visited beautiful Monterey and Pacific Grove again. Guess I omitted to state the temperature in the area which was between 7 to 14 degrees with the temperature at the coastal areas lower by another 2 degrees or so. Thus, you can understand why I was clothed almost ala Winter Sonata (notice the scarf and hands in the pocket?). It was so damned cold! Bbbbrrrrr.....

Fisherman's Wharf @ Monterey Bay

Nearing the 17-mile scenic drive along Pacific Grove

Food wise, there's only so much ribs and fried steak that one can eat. Some of you may know my fascination with Applebees and iHOP on my last trip, but on this, well, let's just say that I was craving for Chinese food every other day. Even Cold Stone Creamery...nah, it just didn't taste as good as it did last time round. Maybe it's my change in tastebuds...but more on that in subsequent postings....And talking about Chinese food, both Baobei and I still can't get over how we were ripped off of US$51 for 4 baskets of dim sum (which were horrid to say the least) plus 1 dish of vegetables! Imagine, that's like S$70 for such a miserable amount of food, with only the stir-fried vegetables tasting remotely near decent. Sigh! Sorry, Baobei. We should have just gone to The Cheesecake Factory instead. :(

Baobei tucking in heartily @ Applebees
Gigantic fried oysters
Sourdough clam chowder - my fave!

Driving in San Francisco downtown was really trying. And I, tasked with map-reading, had an even more daunting task. Several times, we had to stop by the side of the road to try and make sense of the grid. Nevertheless, I still remain passionate about SF. The slopes - ups & downs, some at nearly 70 degrees angle, the quaint architecture, the beloved icon - Golden Gate Bridge, the bright blue skies...See's Candies and Ghirardelli chocolates!! Yummy! For those who have yet to try See's Candies' Toffeettes (see below), take my advice, go try it. Bribe or beg, get whoever's travelling to the west coast to cart back the goodies for you. No regrets on this. It's one of the yummiest confectioneries around, trust me! At US$15 per tin, though a bit exp, it's well-worth it :)

Opp .Ghirardelli Square The Golden Gate Bridge in the background

Another highlight of this trip was meeting up with my dear friend, I-Ying (who's due in Aug) and her hubby, Morris, over an extremely yummy-licious dinner at Basil Thai. Seems that the chef could do no wrong for every dish was appetising and really, it's just the best Thai food I've ever tasted! Or maybe it's because of my change in tastebuds, but again, more on that next time. For desserts, Morris guided us to this quaint pie cafe (can't recall the name) in their neighbourhood. It sure whipped up some mean-tasting pies, esp. the apple pie, boy! Anyways, it was most unfortunate that it slipped my pea brain to whip out our camera for some shots with them (guess I was too caught up in the yummy food). Another big regret was not having been able to sync up with them earlier, otherwise, we wouldn't have been US$51 poorer over some horrible measly grub....

Gong Xi Gong Xi!

2008-02-09T23:02:00.002+08:00

恭喜! 恭喜! This is our 2nd Chinese New Year, but the first that we're aware of (we were barely 2 months old last CNY). Though we've not much experience with this festive celebration, we do know that it's a period of get-together, feasting on goodies and the collection of ang pows!

But most importantly, we cherished the 5 consecutive days of celebration (starting with CNY eve) when Daddy & Mummy were not at work, but with us, 24x7, giving us their undivided attention.

Our first CNY visit - 新年快乐, 身体建康, Gong Gong, Por Por!

Another day of visiting, another set of outfit!

Mummy's outfit and mine are so matching!

Oh boy, not again! Another day of visiting?

Our 1st time meeting Mummy's 奶妈 (nanny). Does this make her our 奶婆? *scratch head*

Welcome, BB Gwendolynn

2008-02-03T23:27:00.001+08:00

Mummy's good friend, Auntie Sharon is now a Mummy herself! 31 Jan 2008 saw the arrival of her precious little girl, Gwendolynn. Both Auntie Sharon and Uncle Terrence are absolutely thrilled with their bundle of job, lack of sleep notwithstanding.

Sweet dreams, BB Gwendolynn. May you grow up to be a babe like your Mummy!Mummy, Auntie Sharon & Connie

Terminal 3 - Our New Playground

2008-01-25T23:51:00.001+08:00

Mummy & Daddy surprised us by coming home early today to take us to the all-new Terminal 3 at Changi Airport.

With the spacious compound, high ceiling, Shangri-La-resque architecture, Terminal 3 indeed deserves pride of place in every Singaporean's heart. But more importantly, Terminal 3 looks set to be our new fave haunt and ideal playground. We can't wait for Daddy & Mummy to take along our 'car car' and soon-to-be bought tricycle to the grounds for us to roam free!

The 5-storey tall and 300m-long vertical garden a.k.a the Green Wall (backdrop)

Slowly but surely, we will walk with more confidence before graduating to running. Somebody, stop us!

Growing Up Gifted

2008-01-20T22:30:00.001+08:00

It's been a long while since Daddy & Mummy took us to 'school' (the last being Kindermusik and My Gym trial sessions last Aug and Sep). At that time, Mummy felt that given our tender age, we were still not ready for such classes, what with Jayden Gor Gor falling asleep during the the entire Kindermusik class and I, for the My Gym trial. Thus, unlike most of our Jan baby friends, we didn't attend any term sessions at Kindermusik or otherwise.

However, today's trial session at GUG proved to Mummy that we've become much more responsive and actually enjoyed ourselves tremendously during the story-telling, phonics, art & craft, singing and dancing segments. Jayden Gor Gor & I were so caught up in our excitement that we sub-consciously stood for long stretches of time on the playmat, deeply engrossed with the goings-on at the front of the class. In fact, Jayden Gor Gor was so enraptured by the bubbles blown by the teachers, he actually took his first step during class!

Mummy's suitably impressed with GUG and has already signed us up for one term commencing in March. Oh goody, we will be in the same class as Rachel Jie Jie and perhaps, our other Jan baby friends too!

This half ear of the corn was the main tool of our art & craft segment - corn printing

Our first ever piece of artwork - our masterpiece!

The 'S.N.A.G'

2008-01-13T23:31:00.000+08:00

For those of you who have been following our blog or who personally know my Jayden Gor Gor, I'm sure many would agree that he's really a notti little boy. However, he can be reduced to an emotional wreck, especially in the case of Daddy raising his trademark booming voice at

him, and looking all stern and serious....

Re: Yummy Recipes

2008-01-12T01:29:00.001+08:00

Recently, Mummy has gone the way of Jamie Oliver, trying to whip up new dishes for us to try, away from the usual humdrum of porridge (beef, chicken, fish, pork). Much thanks to Auntie Tona, whose blog for Kimi Di Di is such treasure trove of information, from which Mummy usually refers to for useful tips and yummy recipes. Just today, Mummy tried to re-create the Baby Creamy Salmon Pasta, from one of Auntie Tona's recipes. And boy, it turned out to be surprisingly yummy! Mmmm....In fact, Mummy was telling Daddy that there will be no more carbonara for her when dining out, not when the one she's churned out proved to be almost as good as the real McCoy!

Baby Creamy Samon Pasta

Ingredients:

A slab of salmon steak

Pasta (boiled soft and cut into small pieces)

Full cream (Bulla)

Full-cream milk

Butter (reduced salt)

Cheddar cheeese (Kraft)

Egg yolk

Broccoli (steamed and mashed)

Carrot (steamed and mashed)

A dash of black pepper and ground nutmeg

Potato Combo (it tastes better than it looks in this pic!)

Another new dish Mummy has recently whipped up is the mashed potato combo (above), which she's adapted from Auntie Zenn's blog for Estelle Mei Mei. Comprising of mashed potato (potato boiled and mashed), pumpkin, green peas (strained), shredded chicken, cheddar cheese and milk (full-cream), the dish is such a treat. We like!

Keep up the good work, Mummy! We look forward to more yummy-licious dishes!

We're ONE!

2008-01-01T23:15:00.001+08:00

Today marks a significant milestone for Gor Gor and me - we are ONE!

It's my birthday! I'm turning ONE! Yeah!

To celebrate this joyous occasion, Daddy & Mummy rented a spacious bungalow chalet at Aloha Loyang, with the help of Auntie Lip, to hold a birthday bash for us.

Our chalet - Seaview Bungalow 8 (31 Dec '07 - 2 Jan '08)

Believing that we love Winnie the Pooh and friends (but it's true that we do, lah), Mummy created a themed party revolving around the fave Disney characters, from the cake and agar-agar, to the balloons, party bags, hats and right down to the table-cloth!

These simply look too pretty to be eaten

Owing to the great support shown by Daddy's Mummy's friends and colleagues, our party was well-attended by over 80 people. We are very happy and appreciative of the well-wishes and gifts from the various aunties, uncles, gors gors and jies jies.

Por Por & Gong Gong

Mummy's ex-colleagues & friends

Daddy's friends & colleagues

Gor Gor with Uncle King, Ye Ye and Cousin Wee Loke

Pssst, wanna know what our birthday wish was? Good health and happiness to all in our family. May we always have the love of each other and God to watch over and bless us.

Ready, Steady, Bompipi!

2007-12-25T23:42:00.000+08:00

Look at me! I can very nearly walk! Though I still need my trusty walking aid, Daddy & Mummy say that I'm getting more steady in my walking by the day!

How Much are the Babies at the Window?

2007-12-24T00:08:00.000+08:00

Have you ever seen what doggies like to do during car rides? Yes, they love to stick their heads out of the windows, enjoying the breeze. Well, that's what these 2 babies love to do, except that this is no car ride. But stop short of sticking their heads out (thank God for lock-able grilles), these 2 babes love watching the world go by from the windows and enjoying the occasional breeze, despite the arduous ascent i.e. pulling themselves up from the floor to the couch, then up the windows.

The Little Drummer Boy & His Head-Shaking Sis

2007-12-16T23:28:00.000+08:00

This is the last in a series of early Christmas pressies from Daddy & Mummy. So smart of them to know that I've long wanted a drum set of my own to generate some sweet music to the ears. Shannen Mei Mei doesn't really fancy banging at the drums but she does enjoy watching me perform and show her support through her rock chick head-shaking moves!

First Christmas, Magical Christmas

2007-12-15T23:54:00.001+08:00

We like Christmas, cos' almost everywhere is aglow with magical lights and familiar strains can be heard. We vaguely remember this time last year when we were still in Mummy's womb, the same Christmas carols wafted through almost daily (Mummy: There were Christmas carolling done at Mount Alvernia's maternity wards).

Some pictures we took at Parkway Parade's Christmas decorative mall front:

The Talking, Walking Pooh

2007-12-08T23:43:00.001+08:00

This is our new-found best friend. Though he's smaller than us, he's way ahead of us in terms of motor skills - Pooh can talk, walk and run! Mummy had her eye on him since we were still in her womb, but apparently, our new-found best friend was so 'hot', he couldn't be found at all his usual haunts e.g.. Isetan, Robinsons, Takashimaya, Toys R Us, for a very long while. Till now.

But as you can see, we're not quite so enamoured of Pooh as Mummy is. Big bullies that we are, we enjoy shoving Pooh face down onto the floor and and playing tug-of-war with him - he being the tug-of-war object. *Tsk tsk* Shame on us, hee!

Uncle Hong Tat

2007-11-27T23:31:00.000+08:00

Uncle Hong Tat is Mummy's ex-colleague from SingTel and got to know Daddy through mutual friends. Although Mummy claims that Uncle HT was constantly making fun of and causing her 'grief' back when they were colleagues, we know that she is very fond of him for his quick wit, humour and loyalty towards his friends; all these probably explaining why Uncle HT is such a popular figure amongst colleagues and friends. Hmmm...seems that all Uncle HT needs now is a girlfriend to complete the perfect picture. Anyone who's keen to know a great guy like our Uncle HT, do let us know, yar?

Christmas Came Early

2007-11-24T23:30:00.001+08:00

Thank you, Mummy & Daddy, for these 2 early Christmas pressies! We just knew that you both like them as much as we do, which was why Daddy couldn't resist setting up these 2 toys for us to play once we got home.

Bert & Ernie

2007-11-24T23:19:00.000+08:00

According to Mummy & Daddy, there're Bert & Ernie, and then there're us. See if like Mummy & Daddy, u too feel that there's an uncanny resemblance between us and the 2 well-known Sesame Street characters.

Much Ado about Wagyu Beef

2007-11-10T23:57:00.001+08:00

Daddy took Mummy to the much feted Aston's Specialties (just 5 mins from our place) for lunch today. They were there to try the much-talked about Wagyu beef which has been receiving rave reviews. Wagyu beef is densly-marbled prime-grade beef which is highly coveted for its exquisite tenderness and melt-in-your-mouth richness. Graded on a 12-point scale, the best of Wagyu can reach 90% fat and 10% meat in composition.

It was Daddy & Mummy's first experience with the marbled meat. Although it fell slightly short of expectations (considering the hype surrounding it, Mummy was expecting an orgasmic experience no less), at S$38.50 for 200gm, even if the Wagyu they had was a lower grade 9 pointer, it would have been a steal anyway. So, yes, Astons has Daddy & Mummy's vote for repeat visits.

East Coast Park

2007-11-10T23:44:00.001+08:00

Staying so near to the beach, Daddy and Mummy regularly plan our leisurely weekend activities around there. We enjoy these trips very much as we can see many 'wo wos' (doggies) and enjoy the cool sea breeze. And of course, there's always the breakfast at Burger King!

Health Boost with TLC

2007-11-08T23:24:00.001+08:00

Lest you scoff at this archaic-looking pot, it was passed down by Por Por and what Mummy uses to double-boil our weekly tonic soup. Consisting of chuan1 pei4, bai3 he2 (lily bud) and apple slices, this soup is meant to strengthen our lungs to keep us strong and healthy and is tasty to boot!

More Aqua Adventures

2007-11-04T22:51:00.001+08:00

Thanks to Auntie Huishan who's a member of the Chinese Swimming Club, Daddy & Mummy took us to the club for yet another romp. It was great seeing Benjamin Gor Gor, Gordon Didi and his Gor Gor Lucas, though we were too excited to be back in the pool that we didn't interact as much as we should. Boy oh boy, we really can't wait for our next swim date!

Waterbabes' Aqua Adventure

2007-11-03T22:34:00.001+08:00

Today marks a watershed (no pun intended) in our 10 months of post-womb lives - our 1st visit to the pool (Mummy had been worried for the longest time that we might fall sick)! Being natural waterbabes, we took to the pool like a duck to water. What was originally meant to be a 30-min dip became a 1.5-hour romp. Jayden Gor Gor & I were really thrilled to bits to be in the water, and we suspect that Daddy & Mummy shared our sentiments too!

Hmmm...Mummy seems to be more thrilled than us to be in the pool

Gor Gor in his K(N)S-100 *hee hee*

We could do this all day!

A family that swims together stays together

Mummy's Cuzzies from Ozzie

2007-10-31T22:03:00.000+08:00

G'day, mate! These are our Uncles & Auntie from Down Under (clockwise from left: Jason, Lawrence & May). They have emigrated to Melbourne since 1999 but return to S'pore occasionally. Recently, they were back upon knowing that Ah Tai was seriously ill despite that their exams were only a week away.

What good-looking uncles and auntie we have!

Group photo before Uncle Jason & Lawrence return to Melbourne for their exams

In the Driver's Seat

2007-10-30T22:48:00.000+08:00

As Gor Gor & I are no longer content with our capsule seats, preferring to struggle free and face the front or stand on our seats to watch the world go by, Daddy got us a Maxi Cosi Priori. But as usual, Daddy only got us 1 cos' he said he must observe to see if we will take to it before he gets us another, knowing that we babies are as erratic as the weather. What a smart daddy we have!

Bye Bye, Ah Tai

2007-10-29T23:03:00.000+08:00

The person on Por Por's left is our Ah Tai. She was 84. She had 4 children, including our Por Por. Our Ah Tai was well-travelled, having been to Europe, USA, Australia, China and many other exciting places. She enjoyed her food and counted amongst her favourites, fried hor fun, rojak, chilli and pepper crabs, plum potong and the occasional stout (woohoo!). Mummy said that Ah Tai has just gone to a beautiful place called heaven on Friday. Ah Tai was stoic; she had waited for all her children and grand-children - some flew back from overseas - to say their goodbyes before leaving us without suffering any pain after 5 days at the hospital (she had suffered a stroke). Though Mummy is very sad, she knows that Ah Tai would not have this any other way.

Bye bye, Ah Tai. We love you and are glad that we've had the chance to be loved by you. May your spirit rest in peace.

Precious memories of Ah Tai

Hurray, More to Play!

2007-10-25T23:33:00.001+08:00

Daddy keeps raising the bar when it comes to getting us delightful stuff which keep us entertained no end. See what we're currently hooked on.

Sun, sea & sand

2007-10-20T23:17:00.001+08:00

Today's not the first time we've been to the beach, but it's my first time taking a dip in the sea and walking on the soft powdery sand. Daddy & Mummy tried coaxing me to smile for the camera but I was simply too tired (it was past my morning nap time) and the sun in my eyes rendered my eye lids close. Nah, not even Daddy's soaking my legs in the water perked me up Where's Shannen Mei Mei? Why, she fell asleep before we even hit the beach.

Grumpy & sleepy Jayden, drenched and hot

Mei Mei rousing from her slumber

It was at BK that we finally came alive for finally, there's air-con and...food! Daddy & Mummy love the breakfast served at BK.

All perky and smiley, in anticipation of yummy morsels

Burger King...not! More like Saliva King for his daily never-ending drool

Yeah, all hail the Queen, my humble subjects!

Contented and happy, yet hot and sweaty

Float Parade

2007-10-16T23:06:00.001+08:00

Apparently, this mushroom float in question was the hot topic in the sgmotherhood jan thread today. And acting on a tip-off from Auntie Von Von, Mummy got Daddy to rush down to Kiddy Palace @ Jurong Point to get us these gems of a float. Ain't they cute? We can hardly wait to get to the pool!!

All I need now is a pina colada, yeah!

Trust Daddy to pick this amphibious 'vehicle' for me. See, I can even manoeuvre it on land, with my trusted duckie guiding me!

Elevated to New Heights

2007-10-15T23:16:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Daddy's colleague, Auntie Serene, we now have our very own high-chair! What can we say, but the air up here sure smells fresher, which makes our food all the more appetising!

Daddy says that if we prove to be good and stay still in the chair, he will get another one for us so that we need not take turns.

Jayden in his 'Drunken Stupor'

2007-10-14T14:21:00.000+08:00

Amongst the many things which Jayden Gor Gor loves, water certainly ranks high on the list. See Gor Gor in his 'drunken stupor'

Babies Day Out

2007-10-13T22:29:00.000+08:00

After having missed an outing last weekend (Mei Mei was sick), Daddy & Mummy took us out shopping at Suntec City today, yeah! Mei Mei could hardly contain her excitement

Trick or treat? (Toys R Us)

A very tired-looking fireboy

Our pit-stop at Swensens

Up & About

2007-10-13T10:10:00.001+08:00

Thanks for all the well-wishes! Shannen Mei Mei & I have recovered and are doing what we do best - messing up the house and making the the adults worry now that we can pull-to-stand and cruise!

Precisely because of our new-found 'mobility', Daddy & Mummy have 'fortified' our play area with lots of cushions and mattresses. and in the process, created more fun for us!

Shannen's Sick

2007-10-06T18:44:00.000+08:00

Shannen Mei Mei woke up a cranky baby today. Suspecting that she was feeling feverish, Daddy & Mummy took her temperature to find that it was 38 degrees! Following a quick call to Auntie Gwen (Mummy's ex-classmate who's a doctor), Mummy gave Mei Mei a dose of paracetamol and placed the fever patch on her forehead to bring down the fever with advice to monitor her temperature every 4 hours. Mei Mei had poor appetite; while she drank her milk, she threw up a couple of times, and refused to touch her porridge. Throughout the day, Mei Mei was either sleeping or looking listless. Mummy was very worried and was carrying and 'sayang-ing' Mei Mei the whole day.

Poor Mei Mei, I hope that she will get well soon and play with me....

Dapper Dressers that We Are

2007-10-05T21:05:00.000+08:00

It doesn't matter to Mummy that we've more clothes than we could ever wear, at every stage of our growth, that is. Mummy says that she gets an adrenaline rush from buying stuff for us. Some 'cheap & good' buys from recent sgmotherhood forum BPs which Mummy has joined.

Jayden & the Chocolate Cake

2007-10-04T22:55:00.002+08:00

Whoever invented chocolate cake must have been a godsend. Ever since Shannen Mei Mei & I were given our first taste of the delectable dessert on Mummy's birthday (Daddy bought Mummy a Temptations Chocolate Etoile), we have been eagerly anticipating the next chocolate rush experience!

Yummy Chocolate Truffle! And ALL mine cos' Shannen Mei Mei's fast asleep! Yeah!

Whoever came up with the theory of diminishing marginal utility sure knew what he was saying *burp*

Gor Gor says that the baby who sleeps less gets the cake. Hmph, fine! But more sleep a happier baby makes. See, I'm still as pleased as punch with my take ONE Baby Bites!

Shannen Goes a-Jumping

2007-09-30T15:44:00.000+08:00

Shannen Mei Mei has gone literally jumpy of late. It gets particularly worse when any music is played, for she jumps even more vigorously.

Wishing You Wedded Bliss Forever, Auntie Lip!

2007-09-29T23:46:00.000+08:00

One of Mummy's closest friends from SCGS, Auntie Lip, just got married today. Mummy & Daddy attended her wedding dinner and had lots of fun catching up with old friends. Auntie Lip looked ravishing & Uncle Yee Ling, dashing. Mummy wishes the newly weds lots of happiness and hopes to hear the sounds of little pitter patter of feet soon!

What's a wedding dinner without a little 'sabo(taging)' from 'good friends'?

Makansutra Fit for the Babes

2007-09-28T11:58:00.000+08:00

Mummy has always been very concerned about our growth, as contrary to singletons, twins are usually smaller in size, not least the fact that we were born 4 weeks before our due dates, weighing only 2+kg each. Thus, she tries her best in ensuring that we eat, and eat well, we do. See the foods we've tried (side bar) and below for some of our daily staples:

Our breakfast

Healthy snacks

'Seasoning' added to our daily brown rice porride (middle: homemade finely ground ikan bilis powder) to whet our appetites and provide the nutritional boost

Tra La La Fun @ Vivo City

2007-09-27T22:22:00.001+08:00

No prizes for guessing which one our fave shopping mall is! Yes, it's Vivo City! And what's there not to like? We love the roof-top open area where Daddy & Mummy dipped our little feet in the pools of water, the Toys R Us outlet with its toys galore and the endless streams of boutiques which incited squeals of delight from Mummy (you've to understand that our Mummy's pretty deprived when it comes to shopping, since whatever free time she has, she chooses to spend with us, at home or otherwise).

One of Gor Gor's fave modes of transportation - the humble shopping trolley (Vivo City Giant)

Nothing comes between me and my Fuzzy Gorzzy (Toys R Us)

Sob Sob

2007-09-23T22:20:00.001+08:00

Mummy's Say:

The past 3 weeks had been one of the best times of my life. Time that I had, to devote myself solely to the munchkins, with nary a care about meeting pressing deadlines or facing the unrelenting stream of corporate email that used to flood my inbox everyday. In fact, it was so thoroughly enjoyable, that I never regretted not having gone for any couple getaway with the mister, much to his annoyance, ha!

Alas, it's time to head back to the corporate world. Apprehension, guilt, reluctance and sadness overwhlem me. Sure, the option to be a SAHM is always there, for life's about choices, isn't it? But if that means my having to constantly think twice about the next purchase for the munchkins, the choice is pretty clear. Just that I've to learn to live with it.

Do I sound whiny? Maybe, but it's a much needed emotional cartharsis. Anyhow, tomorrow shall bring with it a new corporate chapter in my life. So...gotta sleep early, it's gonna be my 1st day at work after all....

Joy Rides

2007-09-20T23:43:00.000+08:00

I used to be afraid of playing with our 'fire-engine' and would struggle when Daddy & Mummy placed me on the seat. But recently, I tried it once and was hooked. Now, Gor Gor & I always take turns to have our joy rides.

For a Lark

2007-09-19T23:05:00.000+08:00

One of Daddy's fave past-times is to take shots of Gor Gor in the unlikeliest locations and positions. Daddy says that I'm his fave girl, so am spared *heh*

Who's Prettier?

2007-09-18T11:02:00.000+08:00

Feeling bored, Mummy decided to accessorise us to amuse herself. From the looks on our faces, it's quite clear that we didn't share her sentiments.

Jayden the Menace

2007-09-14T23:18:00.000+08:00

There are naughty boys. And then, there's Jayden Gor Gor. See what naughty stunts he's pulled off lately.

Uh-oh. That's Mummy's childhood toy you've just wrecked.

These alphabet mats are meant to cushion our falls and knocks. But Gor Gor's fave past-time nowadays is to tear the mat apart. Mummy says that he is definitely a Baby of Mass Destruction.

Notice the 3 tangled locks of hair on Gor Gor's head? These were the result of his throwing a tantrum in his sarong earlier. All that twisting, turning and frustrations simply frayed his hair.

Daddy says that Gor Gor is the epitome of naughtiness, which I fully agree! *ouch*

Drum Roll Please, It's the Launch of Our Blog!

2007-09-13T10:57:00.001+08:00

Harlows, everyone! Finally, we have a blog to call our own, yeah! Though this is not perfect and there's still room for improvement, we've to give our Mummy A+ for effort. And well, if the birds have to be perfect before they sing, the forest would be stony silent. So there you have it, the launch of our very own blog! Enjoy your stay here, and do return regularly to keep track of our progress.

Fat slobbery kisses from the twins,
Jayden & Shannen

Head-banging Dude

2007-09-10T10:44:00.000+08:00

Over the past 2 weeks, Jayden Gor Gor has got Mummy worried sick over his new habit of shaking and nodding his head vigorously. Mummy's afraid that it could be a symptom of some nervous disorder and was on the verge of taking Gor Gor to seek medical help. However, through the exchange with some SMH mummies, Mummy realised that his actions could just be a new-found expression and that it may well be a passing phase. True enough, it's been 5 days and Gor Gor's heady days seem to be a thing of the past. We can all heave a sigh of relief...for now.

My Gym, Our Kind of Fun

2007-09-09T21:01:00.001+08:00

Mummy, Daddy, Gong Gong & Por Por took us to My Gym for our trial class today. We both found the class to be loads of fun. Though the gym stations looked intimidating intially, we soon warmed up to them. I found the dolphin ride and the arm swings especially fun. The songs and games also perked me up quite a bit. But I can't say the same for Shannen Mei Mei. She dozed off mid-way during class (Yours Truly fell asleep at the recent Kindermusik class). Mummy said that at this rate, in future, she will only take one of us to such enrichment classes. *Boohoo*

Por Por joining us at play

Whee, this is fun!

Separation time (teaches tykes to overcome separation anxiety effects)

See what the twins were up to @ My Gym

See No Evil, Hear No Evil

2007-09-08T22:33:00.000+08:00

We celebrated Auntie Connie's birthday today, albeit rather belatedly. At Auntie Connie's house, we met her niece, Jodi Jie Jie, who is 1 month older than us, but so much bigger-sized than us. We also met up with our dear Kimberly Jie Jie, who's now graduated to walking and babbling words like 'Oh oh', 'Apple' and 'Auntie'. Mummy says that she's gonna grow up to be a clever girl!

Notti Mummy and the 2 Auntie Sharons got Auntie Connie lingerie and cosmetics as gifts. We dunno what lingerie means but going by Auntie Connie's blushing face, we think the information may just be a tad too much for our young and innocent minds!

Brain & Soul Food

2007-09-08T22:26:00.001+08:00

Upon hearing from Auntie Huishan about the Times Bookshop Mega Fair yesterday, Mummy dashed down to the Expo with Por Por (who so kindly drove Mummy down), hoping to snag some good buys. If not for Por Por's constant reminders to Mummy that we already have a cupboard stuffed with board books and educational kits, we think Mummy would have shopped herself into a frenzy, seemingly forgetting that we're only 8 months old!

Attack of the Clones

2007-09-07T17:23:00.001+08:00

Now, see this and guess who's who! :)

Regardless of who I look like more, Mummy says that I'm the embodiment of sugar & spice and all things nice! *heh*

Hurray, Mummy's Home!

2007-09-03T01:07:00.000+08:00

Today's Mummy's 1st day at home while in-between jobs, and boy, is she enjoying it (we think)! In fact, we overheard Mummy telling Daddy over the phone this afternoon, that she found her day with us to be very fulfilling, and wished that she could kiss her corporate life goodbye to be stay home and take care of us! Hurray for us!

Just to give you some perspective (my, my, what capacious vocabulary we have!) of what Mummy's day with us is like - lest you think a SAHM's role is any less challenging - take a look at our daily routine:

0715: Wake up to 1st milk feed
0730: Play time
0815: Breakfast (usually Heinz Multigrain mix with fruit)
0845: Bath time
0900: Nap
1030: 2nd milk feed
1045: Play time
1130: Lunch (brown rice porridge with meat & veg)
1200: Play time
1300: Nap
1400: Play time
1430: 3rd milk feed
1500: Play time
1600: Tea-time (biscuits or fruit puree)

1630: Nap
1730: Dinner (brown rice porridge with meat & veg)
1800: Bath time
1830: 4th milk feed
1900: Nap
2130: Last milk feed before bed time

Thus, 3 cheers for all the SAHMs out there!!!

Toys, toys, toys

2007-09-02T00:17:00.001+08:00

Mummy thinks that we still don't have enough toys - and we agree.

The Much-talked-about Toy

2007-08-31T22:36:00.001+08:00

Thanks to Mummy's ex-colleagues for this much-coveted (it was at one stage, in the Singapore Motherhood forum) toy. She had used the Robinsons vouchers (their farewell gift to Mummy) in exchange for this toy, which she knows will elicit much delight and joy from us.

Yipee, New Toy!

2007-08-31T21:30:00.001+08:00

Look what Mummy has gotten for us - Teddy's Treehouse!! A big thanks to Baby Carys who highlighted this toy on her blog. Mummy wasted no time in rushing down to the Taka Baby Fair (4th last day) after work yesterday just to snag this piece for us. We like it; it's fun and keeps us entertained with the different animal sounds and melodies. Even Gong Gong finds it interesting!

The Sound of (Kinder)Musik

2007-08-26T23:48:00.001+08:00

I totally enjoyed myself at our trial session at Kindermusik. Too bad, Gor Gor fell asleep mid-way during the egg-shakers segment. It sure was fun getting to know so many baby friends!

Look at me, with some help from Mummy, I'm a little drummer girl!

Auntie Bluegrapes & Baby Carys, 2 of Mummy's and my fave persons!

Happy Big Birthday, Por Por!

2007-08-26T23:24:00.000+08:00

It's Por Por's birthday today. Looking at her, you can hardly believe that she's 60 this year. We wish Por Por good health and happiness. We love you, Por Por!

In Love with Durian

2007-08-10T23:27:00.001+08:00

As you can probably tell, I really enjoy eating durian, especially when it's shared with my Daddy!

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

2007-07-21T18:27:00.000+08:00

Jayden Gor Gor has been crying and screaming non-stop today. Mummy & Daddy don't understand his crankiness. Even I can't make out why he's so, though we're supposed to have a common lingo i.e baby-talk. Each time Gor Gor fusses, Daddy will stuff the pacifier into his mouth. But whenever it falls out, Gor Gor will scream again. At his wit's end, Daddy decided to stick the pacifier onto Gor Gor's mouth with surgical tape. It did bring some peace and quiet to the house, until clever Gor Gor tore off the tape, spat the pacifier out and screamed at the top of his lungs...again.

Endorsement Deals, Anyone?

2007-07-15T00:45:00.000+08:00

The Great Conspiracy

2007-07-14T12:41:00.000+08:00

This is way cute, totally unexpected! *hee*

Moral of the story: Never let appearances deceive you.

What you think they were doing

What they were actually up to

Shannen the Agile Gymnast

2007-07-13T00:59:00.000+08:00

Shannen Mei Mei has been carrying out all sorts of funny stunts lately. See what she's been up to.