Our lovely tot....

Often times, parents are under such immense social pressure to attain the infamous 5Cs (credit card, career, car, condo and club membership) that we often overlook the simple but important aspects of a fulfilling life. Perhaps 1C is all it really takes to be happy; contentment. As parents who want the best for their children, I can’t help but wonder if the urge to succeed financially is in fact a selfish act of materialism – we do it in the name of our children but at the end of the day does our children really need a bigger house and bigger car, or is it merely to satisfy our own personal dreams? Would our children rather live in a smaller home and travel in a smaller car in exchange for more time with their parents? I think at the bottom of our hearts we all clearly know the answer.

Looking back, it has been almost 3.5 years since Chloe came into our life. Not a single day passes without me feeling utmost pride and joy in my heart. I miss Chloe when she goes to sleep at night, and I can’t wait to see her when I wake up in the morning……when she’s happy I’m overjoyed, and when she cries it saddens me. Sometimes the emotions feel overwhelmingly like a roller coaster ride, but you always end up still enjoying the ride. Clare thinks I make a lousy parent in terms of instilling discipline in Chloe – and I have to agree wholeheartedly. Clare once asked me why I never scold or shout at Chloe, and at the spur of the moment I told her “Because I love Chloe more than I love myself, and I never scold myself” – it left Clare speechless (with a smile). Reflecting on what I had said, it now sounds rather corny (haha…) but since it was a spontaneous response I can only assume it came from the heart.

Chloe is growing up to be a lovely child…..she now speaks her mind rather openly and says the funniest (and saddest) things…. Clare once asked Chloe why she looked so happy…..and guess what Chloe said…. “Because I am not sad”!! When her Poh Poh recently bid farewell to her at the airport, Chloe was so depressed that she cried and said “Give me back my Poh Poh right now” – it was heart wrenching. Chloe still loves to sing (at the top of her lungs….haha) and even began inventing her own “songs", one of which goes something like this "Teddy bear teddy bear turn around, teddy bear teddy bear go to sleep....". Chloe also enjoys having Clare read bedtime stories to her before she goes to sleep at night….which has become somewhat of a routine. In fact, Clare recently gave me a very “challenging” task of selecting children books from the library for Chloe (my first time venturing into the children section), and I would like to proudly proclaim that I exceeded her (low) expectations…..haha…. I am cognizant of the fact that Chloe loves books that features animals, but her clear favourite (amongst the books I borrowed for her) would have to be the one from the Dora the Explorer series entitled 'Swim, Boots, Swim'.

Truth be told, it may seem that Chloe is blessed to have us love her so much as parents, but on the contrary it is in fact Clare and I who are deeply blessed to have Chloe.

Lastly, to end this posting on a unique note, I have not included any photos of Chloe but instead would like to dedicate a lovely song to her – the lyrics of which were probably written in a romantic context but majority of which would aptly convey the love a daddy has for his daughter. Chloe – this one’s for you.

Hong Kong / Macau - Nov 2009

Here's a selection of photos from our recent family trip to Hong Kong /Macau......

Well done Chloe!

The childcare centre which Chloe attends organised a parents teacher conference over the same weekend we were away in HK.......

After we returned from our vacation, we met the teachers and discussed Chloe's progress in school.... The teachers gave us a progress report on how Chloe was performing..... the report summarised a checklist of things Chloe was able to do well, as well as new task/things which she was still learning to do.......

We were really happy that Chloe is progressing well in school...... the teachers complimented Chloe on a number of areas and naturally that made us feel extremely proud as parents..... and we certainly hope she continues to do well.

[Note: click on the pictures below to get a larger view, for ease of reading]

Overall comments from her English and Chinese teacher:

In the mood for some fun

The best way to expend all those pent up energy in kids is to bring them to a playground.

My sister and I brought the gals to Go-Go Bambini @ Demsey on one of the weekends. It has been quite a long while since we last visited this 'Giant playground". Chris was away on a business trip that weekend so going shopping with a stroller in tow without him was definitely out of the question for me.

Chloe and Anthea was so excited the moment we announced our grand plan to bring them to Go-Go Bambini.

When we got there, Chloe requested me to follow her closely. I had to wriggle my way around all the kiddy obstacles together with Chloe. However after half an hour, Chloe became more brave and ventured around without me. I just sat and watched her play from a far.

Overrall it's a nice cosy place, sufficient to provide the fun that the kids need. Parents can also spend some relaxing time at the Cafe and Nail Spa within the premise.

I give this place two thumbs up! Do check it out!

I miss Chloe....

I miss Chloe so very much. In fact, I couldn’t stop thinking about her ever since we spoke briefly on the long-distance call yesterday night. Clare was in the midst of getting Chloe ready for bed when Chloe burst into tears and asked for me. Clare called me in Shanghai immediately so that Chloe could talk to me……. all I could hear was loud sobbing, and in between the sobs Chloe in her trembling voice managed to utter the words……’I miss you papa’…. Grown men are not supposed to cry, but those few words from my dearest darling instantly brought tears into my eyes. It has been 4 days since I last saw her and I couldn’t be there to hug and comfort her. I was heartbroken.

If someone were to ask me what my life’s greatest achievement is, it would be starting a family. Being able to experience parental love is a gift. My love for Chloe is protective and unconditional, and her love for me – likewise.

I know that someday when Chloe is a grown girl, her unconditional love for me may change. I can only cross my fingers and hope that this will not happen. At least for now, Chloe is always happy to see me and jumps into my arms whenever we meet – and that is such an incredible feeling.

Mid Autumn festival - Let's pose with Kitty

Specially for my parents in-law: You will find some of the following poses very familar-Chloe 's new Hula-dance moves which made your recent trip to Singapore "exceptionally-memorable".

National Day celebration

Every year without fail, we would head out in search of a suitable venue to catch the National Day fireworks display. This year, we chose to camp out at Marina Barrage.

The Marina Barrage is Singapore's 15th reservoir, and the first in the heart of the city. Overlooking the Singapore Flyer and the financial district, the Marina Barrage offers wide, open recreational space, lush greenery and breathtaking scenery.

In view of National Day celebrations, we even applied Singapore flag stickers on the faces on all three toddlers - Chloe, and her cousins Anthea and Vera....

By the end of the evening, we were generally disappointed as our view of the fireworks display was unfortunately blocked to a large extent by the 3 hotel towers of the upcoming Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resorts........but the company of family members and other enthusiastic patriotic Singaporeans more than made up for it. And to those planning a similar outing at the Barrage during next year's National Day - be warned, the traffic is horrendous when you leave the place.