Using Picasa to Blog

Hmmm.. My sis introduce me to use Picassa Web Album to upload pictures to blog... This is pretty new to me... not sure if it works. But it really saves a lot of time.. And since I only have 2 pictues at my workplace... Can only make do with it... will post some more pictures when I can. Hehehe... so Fun!

Photo taken outside Long Beach Dempsey

Photo Taken @ Pine Tree Country Club during Grandmother's Birthday

Back to Post after A long While!

Wow... Time really zoomed past like a fast-engined FORUMLA ONE car....
Now it is already November! Christmas is just round the corner once again... :)
Last Year this time, I was still walking around with a big round stomach with Ashton boy still kicking and swimming in it but Whizzz.... back to reality! Ashton had already grown and is going to be a 8th month toddler this coming Saturday.

It is so amazing seeing how Ashton had changed... since birth till now... To me, he is just my little darling no matter what he does, he looks so innocent and endearing!
Misses him always when I have to go to work... Cannot bear to part with him but whenever, he is naughty and makes me angry... just want to chuck him aside but that will not last very long... cos once I see his sweet innocent smile and cheeky face, my heart just melted...

Hmmm... what is in store my Christmas this year... It is the time of sharing and giving ... what to give my boy.. he already have a lot of toys and new clothes... what else can I get for him.. Let me ponder for a while... ;p Not sure yet..

Will keep you all posted once I decide... so Ashton's Da Yi and Xiao Yi, while reading my blog, what about you two? What are you getting to your favourite nephew? Hehehe...

So thankful that my little boy,Ashton had all the love and attention of everyone in the family, including his "Gong Gong" who always patronises toy shops to get new toys for him, his "Po Po" who takes endless good care of him and plays with him when no one else is around, his "Da Yi" who never fails to make him laugh with her peekaboo and funny faces , his "Jiu Jiu" who lets him sit on the lap watching him play computer soccer game and throws him up in the air to make him laugh.. and not forgeting his "Xiao Yi" who always misses him when she is at work... plays piano for him, dances with him...
Thank you everyone for Loving my Ashton!

Cafe Cartel @ P.S. Service Standards Very BAD

Just came back from a so called "memorable" lunch @ Cafe Cartel Plaza Singapura with CC, GG and JK! Wow... It is such a bad experience! GG, thankfully you left earlier and was not present when it happened. If not, I foresee "knives, forks and spoons" will be flying around. Ha Ha... ;)

The above picture showed the set menu that CC, JK and myself ordered. If you had been to Cafe Cartel before,each set meal was supposed to come with free flow of bread, soup of the day, main course, drink and dessert. But in the end, we realized we were short changed... We waited and waited but neither did the soup nor the dessert was served after we finished our main course.
In the end, we decided to give up on the soup and reminded the waitress to serve the ice-cream but it never came. CC and me looked at the waitress when she passed by our table and reminded her on our ice cream but I am not so sure if she even heard us or chose to turn a deaf ear on whatever we had said.
CC was so pissed that she marched right up to the cashier counter and demanded we had a refund on those items that were not served to us. The cashier asked the assistant manager of the restaurant to attend to us. He was a young chap, looked a bit "Ah Beng", sporting a ear ring on his left ear. His attitude was real bad! No service with a smile, never mind. He did not even apologise on what had happened.

CC: Can you please refund us on the items that we did not have?

(went into the cashier counter, pressed a few buttons and showed us 2 receipts, one was the original receipt, the other was the one that waived off GG's soup and the service charge.)

A Manager: This is the best we can give you. We cannot do anything with the set lunches!

CC: Can I keep a copy of both receipts?

A Manager: Why do you want it for?

Silence... transpired, then the A Manager looked at CC, then continued to say:

A Manager: You can have your meals for free then?

CC & JK: No la. We will pay for the part of the set meals that we had.

A Manager: It is ok. You do not have to pay.

CC & JK: Are you sure it is ok?

A Manager: Yes. It is ok.

So, we left... On hindsight, Just feel that nowadays, service standards in restaurants seemed to be getting from bad to worse. Wonder if it is because there was no proper training given to these service staffs. If the Assistant Manager had apporached the issue differently, we might even had gladly pay for the meals.

Hate it when you had to pay for that kind service that did not even deserve it.

When I came back to office, I realised that in the midst of all this, I forgot to bring my sister's umbrella back. Sorry Sze! Opps... she is going to scold me when she read this. And when I tell JK, he also forgot his... Ai yo.. Too pre-occupied with the whole episode!

Few random photos of My Little CUTIE PIE...ASHTON!

Just happened to have the time to upload the photos that were long overdued.

Growing stages of Baby Ashton!!!

Ashton Boy - Arrived on Planet Earth 15 March 2008

Ashton - Just born

Sleeping peacefully in the crib
Weight: 2.5kg
(Premature by a 1 month)




1 week old

Ashton giving his wave and salute!



1 month old

Ashton posing in front of camera
showing that he loves his mummy



2 months old

Ashton giving his "killer" grin
without teeth






3 months old

Ashton at his chubbiest...

Chubby closeup together with a grumpy face

Ashton sporting a black cap: looking serious and giving his cheeky face, half-naked before bathing

Ashton - 4 months old

Giving his innocent look

Ashton - 5 months old

Sitting in his bumbo
biting his hands






Ashton boy - 6 months

In his first "Baby Gap" jump suit!

And with his blue bandana

That is how fast time flies! Ashton boy is growing each and every day, getting smarter and starting to recognise the people around him.

How Ashton affect me, my hubby, my parents and my sibilings (ling, keong & sze)!

When you play with him,
His happy and sometimes cheeky smiles brighten up our days.
When he laughs,
His infectious laugher spread to you.
When he cries,
Everyone just rush to attend to him.
Even though he is naughty,
Everyone still dotes on him like a "prince."
When you do not see him,
You will just start to miss him a lot.
That is how precious little Ashton is to us. He matters in our lives!

Financial Crisis!!!

"The United States is mired in a "once-in-a century" financial crisis which is now more than likely to spark a recession"
-- former Federal Reserve chief, Alan Greenspan --

Sigh...... "Financial Crisis" - these 2 words had not rang a bell for a long time! But the bad news is: it is back to haunt our lives again. It all started off with the Sub Prime crisis in U.S. Followed by the 2 biggest U.S. providers of housing finance: Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae getting themselves in deep shit... Thank god that the U.S. government had decided to bail them out. But the issue is still by far being resolved and it will continue to be corrosive force until the prices of homes in U.S. stabilised.

Hmmm... and September.. think it is the "Jinx" month for United States.
September 11 incident in 2001 brought the world's financial market to a standstill; a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda where four commercial passenger jet airliners were hijacked and used to intentionally crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and many others working in the building, causing both buildings to collapse within two hours, destroying at least two nearby buildings and damaging others. Stock exchanges closed for almost a week, and posted enormous losses upon reopening, especially in the airline and insurance industries.

"Names of the Past!"

Now!! September 15 2008 would be noted down as another major event that shocked the world's financial system -- Declaration of Bankruptcy by Lehmann Brothers and their wall street rival, Merill Lynch having to be taken over by Bank of America...

All this events seemed to be highly contagious, as even before the stock market was able to digest the demise of Lehman Brothers and the take-over of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, Insurance giant AIG reported to be seeking a 40 billion-dollar bridge loan from the Federal Reserve in the face of a possible downgrade from credit ratings agencies on the same day. Shares in American International Group slid 70 percent at the open amid heightened fears of bankruptcy at what was once the world's largest insurance company.

Even AIA - the subsidiary of AIG was not spared.. the next day before the Customer Service Centre was open, there was already a long queue of policyholders lining up wanting to surrender their policies. Everyone just started to panic and I feel it is normal, especially for the uncles and aunties who had out their life savings in the insurance plans and they are bound to be afraid that the bankruptcy will become a chain effect....

Wonder when will all this come to an end... or is it the beginning of another vicious cycle.

Been a long time since I last blog

Wow! Almost 1 month had passed since I last blog.

Main thing is just because I am simply too lazy to do so and also because been busy taking care of Ashton boy...

Ashton is getting cuter with each passing day... I especially like bonding with him in the morning when he just woke up. Cos that is the only time when he will obediently lie beside me and look at me when I talked to him... Otherwise, he will always be stretching his hands, kicking his legs, playing and crying...this non-stop action continues until he is too tired and decides to sleep. He is such a dearie even though he is so so mischievous!

One thing I find real amazing about Ashton boy is that he can perspire alot... and I really mean alot.. Even recently when it is so cold, raining heavily, he will still be perspiring till his whole head is covered with sweat. He is just like his father in this aspect...

Last weekend, I just got my FIRST laptop.. wanted something portable, sleek and nice... Initially, I wanted to get the ASUS 901 model but find it too small and the appearance looks a bit cheapo... So, in the end, after much browsing around the shops in Funan IT Mall with my hubby, I decided to get the COMPAQ PRESARIO 12 inch one. The price is alomost twice the ASUS but I think it is better to get one that I like... So happy.. Take a look at the two below...You will know why I ended up buying Compaq.

Ashton is down with flu and cough...

Not sure why overnight, baby ashton fell sick... His nose blocked and a dry cough... Poor Boy! When he take his milk, he seems to be encoutering difficulty in breathing... Brought him to see doc @ KidsLink Clinic at Jurong. Gave him medicine but till now still have not recovered... Feeling a bit sian cos on Thurs 24 July, I have to go to Bangkok to prepare for the dinner to commemorate Prudential's 160th birthday. We will be staying at Amari Watergate Hotel, 5 star leh... The following are some pics of the hotel...

Shoes

Went Shopping with GG during lunch... and each of us got a pair of shoes at Centrepoint Sole Lovers... I bought a white pair with black trimmings and ribbon... you can see it in the picture above. GG got a pair of sandals with precious stones... and also topped up SGD 19.90 for a pair of COOL sunglasses.. ;)

Mothers are really the greatest of all!

NAUGHTY BABY ASHTON BOY IN ACTION! BITING HIS HANDS; ADORNED !WITH MY SIS'S OLD HAT & SPORTING THE NEW CLOTHES BOUGHT BY HER

Quotations on Mother:

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts." ~Washington Irving

"A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them."
~Victor Hugo

It is really when I become a mother, then it really dawn on me how important my child is to me. Just looking at Ashton boy sleeping comfortably and soundly in my arms, I feel a sense of happiness and contentment. This is how great being a mother is. Little little gestures from your baby can just make you feel happy and forget about the tiredness from work and the lack of sleep having to wake up to feed him during the night.

It is the love of a mother that pull me out of my comfortable bed to go down to cold storage in the middle of the night to buy pampers for him, knowing that he will need it tomorrow and I will not be get them for him. It is late and need to get some sleep for tomorrow's day at work.

Ya almost forget to mention I bought a baby sling for Ashton. I tried it out and he seemed happy in it, sucking his fingers contentedly. But not sure how long this can last. Ashton's attention span very short! So, all the new thigns bought for him can only distract him for a short while.

Friendship is so Fragile!

Friendship:

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints in our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."-- Annoymous

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.

Just walk beside me and be my friend."-- Albert Camus

Message to Sze:

I know I cannot full understand and feel the pain that you are going through from losing a dear friend whom you treasure so much and it is hard to let go, but you have to learn to do it.

Life goes on!!! No point dwelling in the past and fret over what had already happened. Like what the first quote summarizes, some friend come into your life and quickly go; some stayed a while and leave foot prints in your heart.

Be thankful that she did form a crucial part of your life before. Treasure the beautiful memories that both of you share.

Oxymoron: It is not difficult to make friends but it is tough maintaining their friendship.

That practically sums up how fragile friendship is. It is part and parcel of growing up!

Guess what you should do now is to respect the fact that "she" wants to be left alone. Some things cannot be rushed. Be patient and give her time. I know it had already been 2 years and nothing had changed. You just have to wait for the day that she realise that it is really foolish to shut you out of her life. And perhaps, things might be different when she finally meet her "Mr. Right".

I know the wait may be a long, tedious one or it may not even materialize in the end. That is LIFE!

Life is never a bed of roses! Just remember, whenever you need a helping hand, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, Ling, Keong and me will always be there for you. Next time, I teach Ashton to cheer you up when you are down, k? Dun be sad! Buck up! Get out of your unhappy shell and be the happy n cheerful girl that I always know you are.

Treasure what you have! Your loving family members, your faithful partner and your dearest friends who will stick with you whatever happens.

Ashton Boy's 4th Month Birthday!

Happy 4th Month Birthday, Ashton boy!

Today is Ashton boy's 4th month birthday! Happy Birthday boy boy!

These pics are taken a few days ago. My younger sis, Sze bought a bumble bee suit for Ashton boy and we are trying out on him to see whether it fits him. Look at the sequence of the photos. So many pairs of hands fiddling the feelers on his head. And he looked so simply adorable with his pair of big sparking eyes, looking so shocked. But sad that I did not manage to capture any shots with him smiling. The funniest thing is that he even pull down the feelers wanting to eat it.

Had to backdate the pics cos just managed to upload them in the PC. So please bear with me ya?

Monday, 14 July 2008 - Lunch @ Lu Lu Restaurant

Yesterday I had lunch with SS at LULU restaurant at the City Hall, the extended portion at the basement, near the Shyokudo Janapenese restaurant.

I know the name sounds really wierd but to our surprise, the food tasted real delicious... Here are some pics!

We ordered an Ice Milk Tea each as well as Mango Ice Cream with mango for dessert.
Did not take any pics for that cos rushing for time as need to get back to work.

I find that for the milk tea, the tea taste too strong and the dessert also so so only nothing special. So next time you got there, just order main course! :)

Precious Weekend

Yesterday, my hubby and I brought baby ashton to the doc's clinic for his 2nd dose of 6 in 1 DPT vaccination. Dunno if he knows that he is going to be vaccinated, he was making hell lot of noise when he steps out of the house... started crying non-stop. Ashton was sporting his first LEVIS T-shirt and jeans, together with his BabyBanz sunglasses... he looked so adorable. When he was at the void deck, most heads will turn and look at him and there was even a lady smiling at him. Ha Ha... so proud to have him.. :)

Even the nurse commented that ashton boy is very cheeky.. cos he kept looking at her after she helped the doc poke a hole in his backside.. So farnie!

After visiting the doc, we brought ashton to my mother in law's house as she misses him a lot...Upon seeing him, she came over to carry him liao. We left him there for a short while as we needed to go get something and also to have lunch.

Lunch was at RedHill's DimSum place. Zi Ran Restaurant. However, I feel that the standard of the dim sum seemed to have drop a fair bit... Does not taste as nice as last time.. Think I still prefer Crystal Jade but cannot compare apple to apple as the latter is pricier.

Ashton has fever again after taking the vaccination. Lucky he was fine after taking medicine and putting the fever strip on his head. He seemed to be more exhausted, as compared to usual.

He is so cute even though he has a fever!

Currently waiting for the new part-time maid to finish her chores. Got to go. Baby ashton is awake!