2014

Taking stock of the year that has passed often brings about a sense of dread in me.

What have I achieved in the past year? Oh, nothing much. Same old, same old. Not much of a "career" in the traditional sense. Sure, I've had a kid. Sure, I've had two. Sure, I'm about to celebrate 10 years of marriage in a few months. But other than that? Ho-hum. Nothing much. It's hot today isn't it?

Except, why do I keenly feel the need to identify myself within the confines of a career?

I guess I've always thought I'd be a bit of an achiever when it came to work. (At the very least, I thought I'd be earning more!) And it's a battle I fight each year, when December 31 comes around.

With the drama and adventure of 2013, you'd think I'd have learnt my lesson on what deems as important!

So I guess I really should take stock and refocus on my real achievements hey?

• I've had a kid! He's turned 7! And he's smart and won't stop talking!
• I've had another kid! He's just turned 4 months! And he's smart and won't stop coo-ing!
• Hubby and I have a strong marriage (which I gather, by the rate of relationships dissolving in 2014, is quite a feat).
• I spent the last year in a job I truly enjoyed, and made new friends, some who remain very close.
• I spent Christmas in Brisbane with close friends and got to ride the roller-coasters at the theme parks - trust me, this was a huge Win for me LOL.
• Got to make new friends through Social Media, especially Instagram.

So! What do I look forward to for 2015?

• Baby hitting new milestones
• Celebrating 10 years of marriage
• Deepening meaningful relationships
• Possibly returning back to work. Possibly.
• Trying out new cake designs and recipes and hopefully revamp the cake website.
• Opening a new cafe with hubby and friends.
• Flying back to Singapore to visit family.
• Perhaps taking a holiday to a new destination - maybe Japan? Or Europe again (I wish!!)

In the meantime, this being a BABY blog, and since I've just had another BABY,  here're some pictures to drool over (literally, there's saliva everywhere right now!)

Soooo tiny 

Guess which one is Aidan and which is Adam?!

Aidan celebrating his 7th birthday at school 

Made a Minecraft cake

My lovely kikki. K family 

#squishycheeks

Family shot on my birthday 

More piccies to come!

Happy 6th Birthday Aidan!

It's been a week overdue, but better late than never! (Which seems to be a common thread in my posts lately haha...)

Aidan celebrated his birthday with not one but FOUR parties this year (five if you include the birthday cake he also had at EG's aunt's home). What a lucky duck!

When I asked him what cake he wanted for his actual birthday (back in Melbourne), he wasn't sure.

"How about a mango cake?"
"Yeah! MANGO CAKE!"
"Sure! I'll get you a mango cake then."
"...of Death."

?!! WTH is a Mango Cake of Death?! We both burst out laughing after that, and I settled for the mango gateau at Breadtop. Which to some really is a mango cake of death anyways.

His other 2 birthday celebrations came on the weekend, with a party with school friends at the game arcade at Highpoint, and one at church with church friends.

His little party in Singapore with our families and some friends. 

Aidan got to meet new friends at this party as well - kids of EG's mates.

At EG's aunt's home, with his BFF cousin Anna!

Me and his lego cake. 

3 layered choc-fudge cake with strawberry buttercream 

and cherries (his request!)

SIGH...no more novelty cakes please!

 With Aunty Sue-Lee and Zoe-Grace, whose birthdays fall

on the day after his!

Aunty Yuli made the lovely cake pops!! Yum!!

And...this is just me trolling my son when I found him 

sleeping in this position the night before his birthday. LOLOL!!
 

Since Aidan's turned 6 it's been a bit of a challenge, because I find him really testing my patience. I'm not sure if it's him or if it's me (probably me), but I find it SO hard to be pleasant and controlled sometimes when he takes his time to do things and the lack of urgency frustrates me. It takes forever for him to get ready for school...and we usually end up in a rush when my neighbour, whom we carpool with, arrives. Except for yesterday when he magically JUMPED out of bed, brushed his teeth, got dressed, ALL ON HIS OWN. IN FIVE MINUTES. which means it's VERY POSSIBLE FOR GRUMPY SIX YEAR OLDS TO ACHIEVE THIS. However, he was motivated by the prospect of opening and playing with a new toy, hence today we were back to the same old nag and drag.

And the neighbour turned up early which meant he didn't have time to have brekkie, and had to take his cheese sandwich with him. And a quick instruction to put on his socks and shoes fell on deaf ears as he got distracted (AGAIN!) by the lego behind him, while the neighbour's car was still sitting outside, patiently waiting for us!! I pulled his face to mine and said "FOCUS!!"

It's mornings like these that really annoy me, and starts my day off wrong. I put it down to him being just a 6 y.o. and my need to just be a little bit more patient, but there are days when I wonder if I'm actually cut out for this. Parenting a 6-going-on-16 child, while not bringing out the absolute worse in me, isn't necessarily bringing out my best either. I feel like we're constantly battling each other (and I thought I'd only get the attitude and the "Seriously, Mum?!" from a girl, not a boy!)

However, the pleasant times we spend learning and reading stories just before bedtime are pretty amazing, I have to admit. And just the other night when he got really excited about learning math through YouTube and it was so great to see how his eyes lit up at the thought of learning and discovering something new. He was copiously copying the problem sums from the video, which I thought was pretty hilarious and video-ed as well. And also how he came up with a rhyming song on the spur-of-the-moment. That was pretty amazing.

(For some reason I sound like a deranged puppet when I yelled "One more time!"

It's probably the recording. Or not.)

You can take the boy out of Singapore...

Happy 5th Birthday!!

Wow I can't believe 5 years have passed. 5 years since he was born, 5 years + 9 months since this blog has started.

My goodness, so much has happened! He's evolved and grown and talks so very much more now. Talks and talks and talks...lol...sometimes I can't shut him up!


I spent the weekend making a Transformer cake. Well, not quite one that transforms, just the Autobot logo really!

We had 2 mini parties - one at Kids Church yesterday...

Heehee that's me in my Cookie Monster jumper...

quite apt considering the cupcakes I made for the Kinder party (see end of post)

 

...and one for Kinder today.

Here's what they were all eating - I'll post a tute onto www.buttercup-bakeshoppe.com soon!

Meee wannntt COOOOKIE!! Omnomnomnom...

Looking back, I'm just grateful for the person Aidan's turned out to be. Smart, inquisitive, bouncy, cheerful, often garrulous (although that could be hereditary lol), and does a mean Shuffle (we're working on Gangnam style next). Next year he'll be starting Prep; I wonder what those changes would bring!

So Aidan, my hope for you in the years ahead is that you'll continue to grow in understanding, faith and love. May you allow your Creator to transform you from an innocent Boy into a solid, just, Man. May you learn what it means to fall in love, have your heart broken, and have it healed. May you discover the wisdom of the ancients, and use it wisely. May you find hope in the midst of cynicism, and joy in the profundities of life. May you never lose your sense of Wonder.

May you always be safe, just as you were the day you were born, cradled in my arms.

Love you always.

Happy Fourth!

This post is a little overdue, but better late than never!

Can't believe how quickly my little one's turned a grand ol' four. FOUR! That's the age where we REALLY start to remember things...like how I used to swivel the fan away from my baby sis late at night because I was SO HOT and who cares if she suffocated in the heat?

I was not a nice child.

That said, my bubba has grown leaps and bounds in the last year, he's now 103cm, a grand leap from the 96cm measured at his third birthday.

We've always had crazy conversations, and lately their getting more grown up. "So, Ma, how was YOUR day today?" He then turns to his Dad. "So, Dad, how was work today? Good?"

Precocious preciousness!

We celebrated his birthday with some time away in Perth - saves us on the big ol' birthday party (I feel terrible for him though! I really have to brush up on my caking skills to make that Bumblebee-Transformer cake he wants). It was a short holiday, but lovely weather, and great to see the cousins and Aidan's great-aunt and great-uncle again.

Here with Amanda-jie. He's been doing the sticky-out tongue thing lately!

With the cousins at Kings Park, Perth. Beautiful day for the Wildflower Festival!

My Aunt and Uncle, happy as ever.

(And my uncle's as crazy as ever - it's in the genes I tell ya!)

He LOVES the sunshine!!

With some Corica Apple strudel to celebrate his birthday.

Cheeky tongue again!!

Love our pyjamas - all in bright colours! heh

We met up with the Chuas  who were in Perth too - 

JoJo and Aidan had SO MUCH FUN in the water!

SO! Reflection time... as I do whenever we hit milestones...

2011 has been a tremendous time for my growth personally, since I've found a vocation I can be passionate about - cake decorating. And Art! It's been terrific to be able to involve that dormant creative side of my self, and allow it to grow and grow, especially through the Bakeshoppe. I think keeping busy and purposeful (Proverbs 29:18) has allowed me to Breathe again, and while I don't think I've perfected the art of parenting, I'm getting there.

Yesterday and today, I've been pretty sick. But thankfully I don't have any big orders in this week, which means I can get much needed rest, and that has allowed me to really step away from everything (especially Facebooking ack!!) and spend meaningful time with Aidan. Who's also pretty sick btw, we're both down with the flu AND fever.

We memorised Scripture as part of our church's 40 days of Prayer (to the tune of "Spider-Man, Spider-Man..." in a groovy '60s beach-boys vibe LOL!!), read books, played lego, told stories, cuddled, watched heaps of telly.

This, and our trip to Perth has really made me treasure the current opportunity I have with Aidan, that we can spend days together and hopefully I won't waste it! Once he starts prep...*sigh* My baby's growing up so quickly!!

Special times...