2 mothers, 4 children, among a 2,500 crowd trying to catch the solar eclipse @ The Singapore Science Centre.

The sky was heavily shrouded in clouds, seemingly unlikely to catch the eclipse.

We spent the remaining time within the Science Centre Discovery Zone when we suddenly looked out of the window and saw a hole in the sky with the sun coming through!

Amazing to see the last of that partial eclipse @ 5.17pm!

At the end of the day, the Other Angel came home and threw up 4 times!

Check out the Science Centre Astronomy blog with the Scobbers!

Our recent drive from Singapore to Vientiane (Capital of Laos) saw that we ARE a family of long distance travellers! The Angels were patient and fantastic. The longest, continuous drive we did was a 960km, achieved in a 12 hour journey.

We stayed in some really dodgy places and there was not a word of complain from them. For the first few nights, they went ‘Wow’. While the ‘wows’ gradually disappeared as the accommodation deteriorated, not a negative word was heard from them at all. They finally stayed at a modern hotel in Laos and all they did was hugged the bed.

I’m so totally proud of my Angels! The Alternative Dad said that we must have done something right to the girls!

Alternative Dad quotes his favourite line of the trip! "Accommodation is ok, except not decorated."

The Angels under Fingers of God

Caught in action - hugging the bed in a modern room! Finally!

Today is the 12th day of Christmas. Time to take down the decorations and reflect on the old year, plan for the new year.

The smell of pine from our Christmas tree!

What a lovely season this has been for my family! We have met many new friends (mom made mom-friend, dad made dad-friend and kids made kids-friend), drove through Malaysia, Thailand and on to Laos!

The Girls' Work on the Homemade Gingerbread House

We had the pleasure of spending some days with Mamapumpkin and our girls decorated the homemade gingerbread house that survived the journey across the Causeway! A poor attempt on mine when piecing the house together and the Angel developing an allergic reaction to the icing I made! But Mamapumpkin was fantastic and whipped out such colourful cheerios and biscuits that got the house into shape!

We are finally home after our long road trip and we just have to say Happy Christmas and Merry New Year (the British way) from ours to yours!

My East Bali Poverty fundraising project was great although it left me feeling tired for a few days after handling a group of 10 children from ages 4-11! Age catching up?!

We moulded volcanoes, made pseudo-volcanic eruptions, story-telling the kamishibai way, and did a drama! How lovely can it get!

I managed to raise more than what I’ve expected of the project and I want to keep going!

A 3 hour session, using experiential learning, with drama and team work to discuss the East Bali children’s lives in an isolated hamlet, using the book, ‘The Art of Learning by Doing‘.

If anyone is interested to expose their children to the above with meaningful outcomes, do get in touch! I also hold sessions at my place or yours if you can get a group going!

Email : alternative dot mom at gmail dot com

You remember my 48 hours of pure fun (so named by my friend prior to my trip)?

I accomplished a lot in that 48 hours and one of the most important and exciting event was bringing in the books I want to fundraise for the East Bali Poverty Project.

I’m going to conduct a fundraising cum workshop. Please come and join me if you :

1) are a parent with child/children between 5 -12 years of age.
2) are interested to learn more about the East Bali Poverty Project
3) want to meet other parents or make friends and enjoy a nice indoor jacuzzi, sauna, swim while your kids learn
(more…)

If you are like me, love books and love BUYING books, this is really a gem of a find!

My friend, P, recently introduced me to :

It’s fantastic! All prices of the books are already inclusive of delivery! How wonderful is that?

It saves you all the hassle of posting, vPosting, extra postage costs, among others!

You get books sent directly to you and prices can sometimes be cheaper than Amazon, and don’t forget! It is FREE DELIVERY WORLDWIDE!

I’m definitely using their service for now and also signed up as an affiliate (I get a little commission if you buy through my link)!

The Alternative Dad said he would do anything to bring a smile to my face (how sweet!) and he granted me my birthday wish! Instead of 24 hours, I received 48 hours without the kids, on my own last weekend! Thanks, Dad!

Ode to Joy ….

*I don’t know why it is not showing up on my page. While I try to sort it out, you can watch it here.

I’m now making a video on 48 hours of pure fun!

Have a good weekend!

Imagine this.

You walked into a restaurant and ordered 2 sets of fish and chips. You clearly stated that due to food allergies, the sauce was to be separated.

Food was served and you realised one of the set had creamy sauce on it. You requested for it to be changed.

The staff readily took it back and came back really quickly with a clean piece of fish without the sauce.

We happily started on our meal and because the kids decided to share their meal, and pinched ours, they ended up leaving that changed set of fish and chips untouched. Knowing that these kids would be hungry once done with shopping, we decided to pack that set of fish and chips and let them have it in the car.

Meal over, food to go. Just as we were leaving, friend decided to check that there was an extra box in the packed food so that the kids would have their own ‘plate’ while having their leftovers in the car.

As she opened up the box, she saw something strange. There was cream on the other side of the fish. When she turned it over, to our horror, we realised that the fish wasn’t changed in the first place when the waitress returned with the ‘changed’ fish, all they did was flipped it over!

Frankly, it was so hilarious to us at first, the moms’ eyes went really huge with the ‘I can’t believe it’ look. Then, we laughed at how anyone can even think of doing it! It really sounded very simple, isn’t it. Flip it over and voila!

But seriously, can you IMAGINE the consequences if the Angel had it? Can you IMAGINE what would have happened if we didn’t check and chances were, we’d have served them the food in the car and they’d have eaten on their own?

And worse of all, the staff knowingly committed the offence. When approached, they readily apologised and volunteered to change to a new fish! When confronted about their irresponsible behaviour and what could have been the consequences, they remained unperturbed and just apologised. I seriously doubt they understand the gravity of the manner.

NIGHTMARE!

This happened in a reputable restaurant – The Manhattan Fish Market!

Moral of this lesson – Never trust those waiters and waitresses. Check your food!

I have more stories to share and they will definitely help you to decide which restaurants to avoid if you have allergies like the Angel!

Recently, I ‘forbid’ the Angel to consume food that the Other Angel cannot have in front of her sister, mainly because the Other Angel will go into a screaming frenzy if she does not get what her sister is eating.

To understand the background a little better, the Other Angel is a gorger and currently, a screamer (more about her later).

If you can then imagine, she, who loves food, can’t eat it will scream her heart out!

Two days after I’ve introduced this rule to the Angel, I was eating Swiss roll. I was famished and tired from preparing dinner and really needed a quick bite to replenish the depleted energy while serving the Angel.

She came sobbing to me, “Mom! I want to eat the Swiss roll but I know I can’t. You shouldn’t eat the Swiss roll in front of me!”

Then she ran away.

I was in shock in between my bite of Swiss roll. She had conveyed with profound truth my rude manner (usually I’m really careful what I eat before her as to eliminate the exclusion factor and we try not have anything that she can’t eat at home).

I finished up my Swiss roll and she came back to the table for her food. I apologised and we both went into a discourse about food and eating with others and her sister.

We concluded that her sister is unable to exercise self-control so we have to protect her, while we try to think of ideas to help her with her screaming bit. More importantly, she walked away this the notion that she can’t dictate what others eat and should not impose our ‘can’ts’ (can’t eat, can’t do) on others. The Angel has decided that it is better for her to enjoy others’ company – travel, visit friends, try other restaurants, rather than demand that no one has food she can’t have.

For me, I know from my heart that the Angel hardly has the issue of dealing with what others are eating. She often finds alternatives, walk away, or the most, she’d give a sigh and says, “Oh, I can’t have that but never mind. Maybe next time.”

In fact, I often cringe when friends bring food that she can’t have or children tell her in her face, “Oh, I’m eating this but you can’t have it.” She has always handled such situations graciously but I feel downright lousy for being the one this time.I walk away humbly, with this lesson in parenting, “Do Unto Others What You Want Others to Do Unto You”. I set the rule that the Angel is not to eat anything that the Other Angel can’t have and I myself did not abide by the rule to her.

I set her off by having a rule which I did not keep.

Parenting is remembering and setting the example.