Maintaining happiness as a mum.. Episode Travel with family.. Thailand Bangkok

And finally we travelled as a family of 4.. you may ask why only 4. Well it is because of one word: budget. 

I am not saying that it is impossible for us to travel altogether in my family of 5 but I will also put into consideration that I will want to bring along my helper with us as I cannot leave her alone in the house with my MIL (another story about that). Anyway.. since Lil I does not own a passport yet, we thought we might as well take the chance of travelling with the two bigger ones since we had a better budget this time. 

Booking was done about 6 months in advance in order to enjoy this good price. We paid $1650 for a family of 4 to the travel agency. This includes air tickets, transfer, accommodation and a half day city tour (which we should opt out of it actually).

Enough said, let the pictures do the talking..

Day 1: boarding the plane at 1210hrs

I would say Thai airways service was quite good.

Especially for a girl who had her maiden flight.

At the luxurious room at the hotel.

We stayed at Pratunam Centerpoint, the location is  very convenient. 

It is clean, comes with breakfast, has a pool to exhaust the kids' energy.

By the time we settled in and all, it was already close to late afternoon.

Our first visit to Big C. Yeah actually our trolley was much fuller when we did a check out.

And total damage: THB$5000+

Dont' ask me why and how.. but we managed to go back in a tutuk.

Then we had dinner at some restaurant.

so hungy and tired.

And someone has his first try at a THB$200 foot massage

He screamed ALOT.

So much that he asked for another round on the next night.

Day 2: Trip to Siracha Zoo 

Our  trip to Siracha Zoo also know as tiger zoo already occupied us up for more than half a day.

We managed to find an local agency who provides transport and entrance tickets.

I think we paid like THB$8K for transport and entrance for all of us.

I bet the cubs were all sedated.

Anyway.. kids find it so amazing that they had to take their own shot.

How can we miss out a jump shot?

Expenses at the Siracha Zoo was quite affordable. 

There is the animals petting section, animals feeding section and you also need money for lunch.

I think we spent less than THB$2000 there.

And soon it was lunch.. or was it dinner.. 

Lunner?

Whatever.. so we ate.. and we ate.. 

and eat and eat.. .

Bought from the make shift food stalls opposite Big C.

Day 3: At the half day city tour..

We were picked up at 8am (BKK time) for the tour that comprises of a boat ride, a temple visit and some walking around.

Family photo.

Day 4: Time to go home!

we basically only spent the morning at Platinum mall in the morning as we had to leave the hotel at 12pm for the airport.

there you.. 4 days of fun and priceless memories formed.
See you soon again Bangkok!

Count down to Pri 1.. ??

Hello.. we have been MIA for sometime for now as Mama Connie has been real busy. All mums are busy, its only a matter of time on how we manage and prioritize our duties in every single day. I am not giving up on this blog as I am so proud to say that this blog is turning 12 this year! Oh well.. here we are..

It just seemed like ystday that Isadore just started Pri 1 and come next year.. my little fatty turned skinny little girl is going to be Pri 1! Since when??

Here is a glimpse of her growing up..

8 mths old

 11mths old..

2 yrs old..

3 yrs old..

4 yrs old..

5 yrs old

6 yrs old..

Ok I’m sure Dora is all grown up and ready. But Mama Connie is not! You cannot imagine how fast this girl grow and how soon she is going to embark on this primary school journey.

I guess she is lucky as Isa can still accompany her to school as he will be in Pri 6 next year. But I reckon this Ms Gung-ho will not need much help.

So if your child is stil in preschool years and you are shouting help...? I think you really look into a lot more possible situations that are happening in primary school life. Children asking for stationeries, children asking for money.. or even children bullying your child.. And if you think Primary One is all about academic expectations.. think again. In another post, I will also be sharing with you on what you can / should prepare your child for Primary 1. And it will NOT academics we  are looking at. I bet you are not surprised.

In the meantime.. I still cannot believe my Dora is going to be Primary ONE!!

Happy 11th..

My eldest turned 11th today and we are so proud of him! How can I actually think he was the smallest baby in the nursery 11years ago, at a mere 2.5kg.

From a small baby to today's solid build, I am more than thankful for His blessing for this child. Stay healthy and happy my big boy.. strive your best in what you do and I know you will be someone great someday.

Thankful 2017..

Is it just me that 2017 seemed to whizz past real fast. From matchy CNY outfits to turning 36 to welcoming my little niece baby G. I cannot ask for more. 

Most importantly.. I thank God for everything. How about you? What are you thankful for?

December 2017.. a month of celebrations and play..

And as we look forward to this very last month of the year, here are some snippet of how we have had our first week of it.

Arrival of my niece Baby G!

She is just so adorable.. getting all the good genes from both her Papa and Mama.

And Heavenly Father I would like to pray for good health for baby G. 

And liked what had been happening in my IG is true as well. My helper is away for 25 days and I know this is also a time for the kids to grow to be more independent and more patience with the busy mum. 

On this first Saturday we joined our RC for a special price ticket to Adventure Cove. 

I was very sure the kids had so much fun. Only glad that they enjoyed themselves. 

The only set back up was no clocks can be found at Adventure Cove thus by the time we decided to have lunch, it was already closed to 4pm.

My group of friends who turned family. Many years ago, some boys and girl decided to call themselves bro and sis. Fast forward 20 years later, these bro and sis have little ones whom I hope will carry on the friendship. 

Till next week!

First successful hand knead milk bun..

And on on a atypical Saturday evening.. My hand itched. Been ages since I baked and I really missed it. After googling for some random post on bread, I decided to venture!

And my sous chef at work.. very serious.

And after 2 rounds of proofing and moulding.. 

the bread is finally out!

Tester number 1 was so happy that she has to eat it in the kitchen!

Taster number 2 find it so good that he has to eat 3 pieces!

I give myself a pass for a hand kneaded milk bun.

Do you think I pass? :)

Lil I is 3!!

Turning three is a big deal. 

So we had to dress him up like his favourite Blippi.

And then we all agree he is one blessed boy as our church uncles and aunties gave him this surprise birthday celebration. 

Happy birthday Lil I!

We pray that you will be a man of His words. Pray for His wisdom upon you.

You know we love you so much!

Love from Papa, Mama, Korkor ans Jiejie.

Review at Cake Avenue..

And so in a whiff.. September came and flew past. Being busy is an excuse so I decided to make use of the busy-ness a much more fulfilling one by spending more time with the family.

Anyway another year of September came .. and we were cordially invited to a food tasting session at Cake Avenue by a very dear friend of mine. The timing was so apt for the man of the da house.

And since it was a special month for a special one, I requested for a customised cake!

Isa at the door!

The menu already looked delicious enough!

Oh yes this is so important and I shall put this place at the top priority if I ever need a venue for my gatherings.

My little yet big boss looking through the special offer menu.

Dora looking thru the newly launched dessert menu!

And while waiting for Ray papa to park his car.. I walked around the cafe and so many beautiful sculptured cakes caught my eyes. Wonder how would our request cake look like?

Chloe.. you are one blessed girl to deserve such a beauty for your birthday.

And of course.. for that someone who is turning 40. 

Welcome to another peak of your life for mine is just a couple of years away.

This is dedicated to all you unicorns lovers out there!

*Aeroplane is model's own.

Or if you fancy your unicorns to appear in other colours.. Here they are..

Garlic bread with cheese.. yumssssss

And introducing to your their newly launched menu dessertssssssssssss

This new menu features 6 creations designed to mimic the look and feel of classic savoury diner foods such as hamburgers, corndogs, nachos and alphabet soup.. but yet it surprises the senses with delightful sweet and palette pleasing dessert instead! Apart from the 6 dessert items, you can also sample Cake Avenue's pre existing entrements such as Chocolate Sensation, Berries and White Chocolate and the Green Apple.

Alphabet Soup ($8.90)

Diner sliders and Fries ($15.90)

Lava Pops ($8.90)

The Great Con Dog ($8.90)

And this was our dessert!

The dessert that does not look like a dessert at all!

Nachos Dulces!

($12.90)

This dish certainly makes my day! Why? Because the combinations of crispy flatbread nachos packed with toppings such as chocolate mousse "refried beans", strawberry compote "salsa", julienned peach "cheese" and pistachio ice cream "gucamole".

I think this is enough for me to want more..!

And here is the very talented baker Chef E.T. behind Cake Avenue.

And my September baby with his customised Tottenham Hotspurs cake!

Oh and did I mention that Cake Avenue is certified Halal and they do delivery too!

Just click on the link above to know more!

You are welcome!

Please visit Cake Avenue at Cake Avenue’s new dessert menu is already available as of 1 September 2017 in their outlet at 33 Lorong Kilat, #01-01/02, Kilat Centre, Singapore 598132 (off from Beauty World MRT Station)

#Disclaimer: Rayconniebaby was invited to Cake Avenue for a personal food tasting session and we are were partially sponsored for this post. Cake order is out of our own. 

Do you want to be a preschool teacher?

The recent much controversial talk about the preschool sector really intrigues me. Don't misunderstand me, I am very proud to be a preschool teacher but yet also we know that this is a very tough job. But no one really know the underside of being a preschool educator thus I hope to shred some light from my experience on it. Maybe this will help you understand why an average of 5000 teachers will leave this post after their 5 years of work.

And first in my disclaimer, I would like to shout out loud that in this particular post, please understand that I DO NOT represent any of the companies/schools that I work for and all views and opinions are mine.

It took me a long while before I decided to be a preschool educator but do you know it really takes many to be a preschool teacher? Just a normal preschool teacher ok. Here is a post on how you can be one.. if you ever want to.. but of course a big welcome to you if you are hoping on the wagon.

Qualifications

A diploma in Early Childhood -Teaching (DPT)  is recommended but you can also be trained in Certificate in Early Childhood or Certificate in Early Years. But of course not only these, if you were lucky to score a B3 in your O level, you will probably get a L2 certification from ECDA. If not, you will be required to apply to take an IELTS exams to prove that your English is still up to mark then upon passing with a min of a 6.5 grade, your school will then apply with ECDA for your L2 certification. Else you will just be slapped with a L1 certification meaning you are only qualified to teach preschoolers until 4 years old. So please be proud of your child's preschool teacher who teaches in the K1/2 levels. It takes alot to be one. And I meant ALOT. Of course if your child's teacher has a higher qualification than just a Diploma, please give them a pat on their shoulders as each part time Diploma or Advance Diploma requires a min of 2.5 to 3 years to complete and a degree requires a min of 3 - 4 years to complete. And this really make me look up to those with a Master in Education. 

Another "qualification" that you are required to have would be a Certification in First Aid for Infant and Toddlers. This could be a 24 hours training that every preschool teacher is required to take and this piece of paper expires every 2 years. You hear it right.. every 2 years you would have to breath air into that mannequin to inflate the chest. *pant pant* Did I also mention we usually have to burn 3 of our weekends just to attend this class on a bi-yearly basis.

There are also some new regulations to ensure that all preschool teacher has to be kept abreast of new techniques and strategies for teaching so we are required to attend an average of 30-40 hours of training (be it curriculum or soft skills) every year. Yes we do get away with work for a break. But most of the time, we do have to submit an assignment at the end of the training that we do. And no, I don't enjoy the airconditioning for 8 hours straight.

Job responsibilities

To be honest, I think we do slightly better than Primary School teachers in a sense as curriculum teaching covers about 50% of the job. So if you think that we are "free" during our children's nap time, we also do curriculum plans for the term, lesson plans, organize fieldtrips, prepare teaching aids, pasting notices in communication books, update school app, attend meetings (for concert, carnival, sports days etc etc). 

Other than these, we are also responsible for our children's every inch that enters the school. From mosquito bites to fever management to medicine administration to missing underwear to remembering the 1001 enrichment class that our children attends inside and outside class. We even have to answer if children decides to drink less water for the day.. or just decided not to poop, we just have to answer for it. 

And as a senior teacher, I also have to manage a group of teachers and also handle parents' feedback in all aspects. So I do more meetings and some in house training during the children's nap time.

Managing children

As a rule of thumb, let me share with you some (impossible to do all) examples of what a preschool teacher should do.

Here are what we discourage:

NO corporate punishments like pulling the ears or face the wall

NO physical punishments like hitting the hand or backside

NO degrading of the children such as calling the child stupid or idiot or insulting children

NO deprivation of basic needs such as don't give water or food just because the child misbehaves

Here are what we encourage:

Yes to negotiation - talk to the child if the child misbehave 

Yes to time out - eg 2 minute of time out on a chair for a 2 year old child etc

Yes to positive reinforcement such as "I am so glad you helped me clear up the mess"

Yes to updating parents if child decides not to eat; so we usually will try to offer something else.

Attire

I always gets very upset to mention this but apparently I left one of the prestigious school because of attire issue. They require me to wear smart casual to work and the senior teacher told me off for wearing a A line skirt to work on a Monday. Perhaps she could see my flag, perhaps it was too short, perhaps. Anyway I left after 6 weeks of work.

To be honest, if your school provides a uniform, maybe you are lucky. For some schools, not wearing uniform also might mean you cannot wear jeans from Monday to Friday, no skirts above knee, no decorative t shirt, no culottes, no shorts etc etc.

Well.. "I just want to be in a comfortable attire!"

To close this entry, I can only say that the status of the preschool teachers is going up a higher notch. But question is... how fast will this be?

And..

DO YOU STILL WANT TO BE A PRESCHOOL TEACHER?
Now let me sit back and relax while I chomp on my supper with a cuppa of tea.

2017 #turning36 Part II

And regardless.. this is always a must for my every staycation.

My best oils..

See I told you.. 

sans kids.. only literally.. both of them were laughing so hard as we were photobombed by a pair of legs.

Small cosy pool but enough to keep the kids busy.

And when was the last time we had a ladies night. 

11/07/2017 Tuesday 

Us at a karaoke session.. and had to bring the princess as made this promise to her many moons ago. 

And look at what this cheeky monster is doing to Papa while he sang.

And that was the end of the celebration.. all well ends well. I went to work very recharged and am ready for the next busy period. Bring it on!

.

2017 #turning36 Part I

After being a mum.. it's always seems that our own well being will take a back seat. But somehow or rather.. is it because of age, I actually realize taking care of myself is also very important.

Perhaps just perhaps.. I am giving myself excuses. *sinister smile

Anyway here is what I have been doing for the past few days.. week.. or even month of celebration.

07/07/17 Friday
Starting Friday.. my school was closed for some training. Boy was I glad. My mood for celebration came like end of Thursday. The only thing that I was short of was literally jumping off in the air... I had to replace with skipping and hopping to the car after work and make sure that no one watches me from behind.

08/07/17 Sunday

Sunday and me in the legendary birthday chair. Spot me in my new short crop hair and sharper chin. I pray for everyone's good health and I grow wiser spiritually wth His words.

10/07/17 Monday

Staycation!

I dote on myself so much that I booked a staycation for me and my friends.

Alright! I'm getting myself disconnected.. bye for now!