A girl needs her time out

(Before the haircut: Note my out of shape, Playmobile, mop)

Joy's joining her husband in exotic Oman this weekend. But she agreed to put aside time from her packing to have lunch with some of us ex-CMP ladies at Raffles City yesterday. Four foodies convened at Ding Tai Fung then proceeded to Canale, which is supposedly known for their cakes.

The cakes were all right. I think with other patisseries the likes of Bakerzin around, Canale tastes pretty much like the rest of the pack.

Thereafter, I finally found time to go for a haircut with Pauline^. She's a funky gal who looks like she's just stepped out of a Japanese teen magazine. People look at me with disbelief when I tell them that my hairdresser is in Yishun. But I like the fact that she always has a plan for what my next haircut would look like. Talk about forward thinking.

I found her by chance. A salesgirl in Raoul was spotting this beautiful short hair, and I plucked up my courage to ask her who her hairdresser is. She whipped out Pauline's namecard, and the rest is history. Apparantly the salesgirl has been recommending many of her customers (male!) to Pauline.

We always talk about our kids when I'm there. She's got a girl who's just a few months older than Kai. Love her style!

Playschool is fun

Clouds with silver lining

Kai's playschool held a "School Open House" over the weekend, and I was pretty excited over it. In addition to showcasing some of the art work by the kids, there would be activities that both parent and child could participate in.

Gobble gobble! Kai's the creative hand behind the startled turkey.

I didn't realise his new school compound is so big. I've only been inside his classroom, and never had a chance to venture beyond that. So you can imagine how bewildered I was, going from room to room looking for his artwork. Before I knew it, I was in the midst of a kitchen (they have a kitchen?!) filled with children baking cookies.

He's my cheeky star

Kai's teacher was very nice. They told me where I can find Kai's artwork. I was bowled over. He did so many things in school! The teachers even dished out food for me from their home-made buffet. I was touched.

Kai's artistic impression of a star

There were tons of parents and kids around; it was hard to pay attention to everyone. But the teachers worked their ground very well, and never once lost their cool. They even took time to tell me the silly things Kai said in school, rational behind the activities etc.

We made a wand, a bird-in-a-cage flippy thing, and he poured beaten eggs into the flour mixture as well as dished out cookie dough on the baking tray. But I think he enjoyed eating the cookie more than the baking.

Decision

I've completed nine lessons of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga class with Timothy, and there are two more to go.

He is really specific about the way he wants to teach: No drop in students, and students have to come five days consecutive at 6.20am.

I like practicing in the morning. It gives me a natural high for the rest of the day, and I get to send Kai to school and spend time with the family in the mornings and evenings. I respect Tim's teaching philosophy, but at this moment I think I'm just not ready for it.

Getting up at 5.30am everything for the morning class is ok if you don't have to deal with a toddler who has problem sleeping on his own AND if you can get to bed by 10pm every night (latest). There are nights where Kai would happily doze off to sleep on his own; there are nights where I had to spend close to an hour in his bedroom pacifying him.

Yesterday was one of those nights. And I miss hanging out with Terence till late.

So it's back to Monday evening yoga sessions I guess, and the special Friday morning classes with the girls.

Feature lights

It was a last minute decision to get a feature light for our room in the office. So off I went on my 2 inch heels down the Balestier stretch.

Too many pretty lights at too many difference prices. I finally picked one with a grey shade and crystals (supposedly from Egypt).

I like how the lights throw its shadow on the ceiling, yielding varying shades of grey.

Doing something for myself: Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

I've always wanted to learn Ashtanga yoga. So when my teacher Erika (Oasis Holistic) said that her son was starting an introduction to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, I signed up for it straight away.

I've never been so sorely tested in my entire life as a yogi. I've done six lessons so far, once every day, and I've got five more to go--all starting at 6.20am. After lesson #3, I wanted to give up. I really did. But partly because I paid up for all 11 lessons and because I really want to get fit again, I dragged my aching body for lesson #4. I didn't regret it.

More about the experience some other day when I'm not so drained. (And I've to wake up at 5.30am for tomorrow's practice!) Until then, here's a brief, layman's overview of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga:

1. This style of yoga is characterized by a focus on vinyasa, or a dynamic connecting posture, that creates a flow between the more static traditional yoga postures. Vinyasa translates as linking and the system also implies the linking of the movement to the breath.

2. The purpose of viṅyāsa is to create heat in the body, which leads to purification of the body through increased circulation and sweating. It also improves flexibility, as well as tendon and hard tissue strength, allowing the student to practice advanced āsanas with reduced risk of injury.

Thanks

After months of hunting,

weeks of nasty negotiation,

stressful days that swing between frustration and jubilation,

sleepless nights,
working weekends and...

last minute changes

We finally moved 10 staff out of a small 500 sq ft office to a comfortable 1,250 sq ft space.

Three years of tears and sweat, highs and lows, unexpected kindness and dedication, and (yes) unpleasant exchanges have brought our company to a higher level. It isn't strange saying "our company" though it legally involves only two partners and friends. But it feels like "our company" because so many people are part of Flame--be it an ex or existing staff, an ex or recurring client, an ex colleague, new and long-time friends, parents, spouse, in-laws, suppliers, partners.

Some believe in us, some roll their eyes at us, some give us two thumbs up, some give us one thumb down (ha!). No matter what, they have moulded us one way or another and created this unique entity called "Flame Communications".

I hope the victory I feel is shared by everyone. It is a team effort.

Thank you.

Grampians part 2: Lesson learnt

The last leg of the trek up to the Pinnacle

This post is long overdue. Chatting with the Chows over breakfast on the possibility of going to Australia together reminded me that I've yet to complete my documentation of our Grampians trek.

We've done a couple of treks in our lives (with and without baby/toddler), and I've learnt a few things making the most of the excursion with baby/toddler:

1. Get fit: Mothers always say they stay slim running after/taking care of their kid/s. Sadly, those hair raising moments of chasing your kid and grabbing him before he runs out onto the road is not enough. Doing some cardiovascular exercises regularly is important if you want to have fun on the trek.

If you want to trek but don't exercise enough, then pick an easier walk. The great thing about trekking in Australia is that there are always options. Some come complete with boardwalks so you can wheel the stroller.

Trekking can be very rewarding. I often start out thinking: "How on earth did I get myself into this", especially when the going gets tough. But the view we see along the way and at the top makes it all worth the while^.

2. What to carry: The arsenal of things you carry before you become a parent and after you actually own a wailing kid change. Of course there are the basics like good walking shoes, appropriate clothing, water etc. But there are other things you need to take into consideration when trekking with babies/kids. The trick is to balance between travelling light and carrying the essentials at the same time.

- Clothes: Do you need something warmer for the peak? It's better to layer clothes than bring one bulky item that takes up plenty of space in the bag. How about a rain jacket just in case? (But if it looks like it's going to rain, I'd vote postponing the trek!) Change of clothes is essential in case you get caught in the rain. If driving, you can leave the extra change of clothes in the car.

Finally, you may be toasty warm as you're the one who's doing the actual walking and sweating, but baby/kid may be cold. So wrap them up well if walking in cold weather or when there's strong wind.

Kai stuffed his face with Coco Pops down the moutain

- Food and water: Carry enough water for you AND the kid, as well as plenty of snacks (biscuits, fruits) to entertain the kid. We gave Kai Coco Pops in the Grampians^, and Terence ended up with chocolate stains down his back after the trek.

How about milk? One option is to do a short trek just after a feed to avoid the hassle of carrying the milk, bottle and bottle warmer. Kai is at an age where we can still bribe him with biscuits, but there were occasions when things turned ugly.

Me, the 'essential service'

We learnt it's better to split the load rather than place everything you need in the backpack you use to carry the toddler. So I was the 'essential service' carrying the water, snacks and jackets in my backpack while Terence carried the rest of the warm clothing. And yes, I did bring one diaper in case he does a major poop along the way. One more thing: bring along plastic bags to carry your junk back down. Be a responsible trekker.

3. The carrier: It's the bag for carry the baby/toddler, that is. The simple baby carrier like the Babybjorn works for some folks, but because Kai is older and heavier we use the Macpac Possum. Borrow if you can from friends or rent them. We found a shop in Melbourne which leases the Macpac Possum for a really affordable price, but it was booked. I pestered Terence to buy our very own since we're likely to be trekking during our trips overseas.

Make sure the carrier is sturdy, comfortable for both parent and child. I like mine with additional space for carrying other essentials. If you can, try out the carrier WITH the baby/toddler in it before the actual trek. Some kids might take a while to get comfortable with the idea of being strapped in. But Kai loves it as it gives him a bird's eye view of his surrounding.

4. Have fun and don't fall off the cliff: Point out interesting things to your kid along the way. It's not often city dwellers get to enjoy nature, and you'd be surprised at what you can find if you keep a sharp lookout. Even flowers can be interesting as I've been using them to teach Kai the concept of big and small, colours, smell etc.

Finally, please, keep an eagle eye and tight grip of your baby/toddler when you get to the top!

THE thumb: An update

Day four and he has NOT sucked on his thumb.