Surprisingly Thirty

Finally the day came, after one long week in office and a late but less than eventful night's out with MY ONE.

I had a stomach upset and aching wrist to mark the beginning of my 30, machinery is old perhaps. Nonetheless, I insisted on a morning brunch at a chinese food outlet which I had been eyeing for some time. Food tasted really to my liking, obviously not to Di's coz' well it was too bland. Collected my own birthday cake and was thinking to myself, "Wow, what a birthday? Having to collect my own cake!" But it was chocolate banana, my favourite.

Had to nap and woke up to a bathing ammes in my place, as disclosed by my spy Claire. Sensing something's not too right, MY ONE finally confessed that he had planned for a surprise 30th birthday bash for me, inviting the KARKEYS, my good old pals since primary school. "You mean I am having a SURPRISE 30th birthday bash!"

The karkeys really made an effort to come all "surprisingly" at the same time, but knowing the karkeys, that was no mean feat. So it started off with ammes in my shower, then trickling in with ity, ange, awn, lulu, gina, cheryl and finally robbie. My mother-in-law made her appearance too even though she shouldn't be after the laser op. My dad-in-law, my uncle, auntie and cousin, almost 20 at my tiny home.

Pressies and ang pows aside, special mention must be given to MY ONE who got all this planned on the sly, thrown in with self arranged flowers. The karkeys for the well-thought sponsored hair-do to come at my dream salon, gina and cheryl for the whitening skin care series, my mum for making all these possible... ...sure beginning to sound like a soap opera to be.

My Family

The Karkeys

The Pressies (nope nothing in pink!)

So snapping out of it, I had my birthday wish granted, my 3 little ones blowing my 3 big candles, what more can one ask for?

Thanks Di for this "surprisingly thirty".

My Three Little Ones

Latest picture of my three little ones......

How have Claire grown, she's going for a Chinese camp at Snow City today, Teck is still with his pacifier. He's at the irritatingly cute and innocent toddler stage. Chloe, the super interactive toy.

How I wish I am on leave today.

The countdown to weekend begins......

Seeing PINK Again

Yes, MY ONE got me another bag and it is PINK again. But it was done in good taste for my big 3.

After a late night fuel pumping trip yesterday, MY ONE asked me to help grab his bag from his alter-ego, his car. But to my surprise, it was no work bag waiting for me in the boot, it was a nicely wrapped DIOR bag awaiting my collection.

So thrilled at the lovely packaging, I wasted no time in opening up the parcel with Claire when we reached home. There it was, a lovely sweet PINK number staring at me, exactly the same design that I have, ahem, 2 imitations of.

Never in my wildest dream had I thought that I would own a REAL Dior bag. With my current currency converter in cans of milk powder or bags of pampers, splurging on one was definitely beyond my accounting sense. But it was not the bag that brought me to tears but the card in the parcel that did, it read......

"If I've taken you for granted and made you feel blue,
Let me say I love and cherish you.
If I've made you feel small and made you cry,
Sorry I'll change, your tears I'll dry.
If these past few weeks have been tough for you,
Just know that I'm aware what you've been through.
If I've not told you how much you mean to me,
Let me say that you, Claire, Nigel and Chloe are my everything.

So for all the things I've done and done wrong,
Please forgive me!
Coz' on this special day,
I only want you to be happy.
And I hope my little things can make you feel happy
and all brand new.
So happy 30th birthday,
God's blessings, love and kisses will come your way."

What can I say but God's blessings had already come a long way. Thanks Di but it's now back to work to earn back the lost cans of milk powder and bags of pampers.

Pink Bag

Just before lunch ended yesterday, my seniors asked "What's with that pink phase of yours?", they were referring to the pink bag I was carrying.

Just before class ended yesterday, a student of mine, code-named WQ, said, "Mrs Lim, please don't take offence to what I am going to say but your pink bag really looks ugly!". No offence of course, maybe just participation marks in class......just kidding!

Before you get the wrong ideas, I DID NOT BUY THAT BAG! It was a gift from MY ONE with Claire as his accomplice, or so he claimed. Then again, given the good genes from me, I trust that Claire has better taste. So no prizes for guessing who the ultimate guilty aka unstylo one is.

My dear friends, since my big 3 is round the corner, be forewarn, do not get me anything PINK! No luminous yellow too, that was history!

Time

Time, an asset which is truly short in my life currently. I never seemed to be able to have time for my 3 little ones, MY ONE, my beloved mummy, my students and my work. Where did all my time go? I hardly have 5 hours of sleep each day currently? Is it an efficiency issue here? Or am lacking in borrowed time (liability) or invested time (owner's equity). OK I know, I am taking accounting to the extreme.

Reached home close to 9 last night and felt really guilty towards my little ones. There they were so excited at the sight of me (also because MY ONE is not around) and here I am all so worn out and tired after a full day of meetings that I could only summon enough energy to read 2 books to them. So heck my exercise schedule for the day (although I could really feel my spare tyre building up already), my resolution would be to go home on time to bring them for a swim today.

Claire, Nigel & Chloe, wait for mummy yah?

Dinner Date

Met up with my students last evening for dinner, and MY ONE insisted on coming along, for fear of any plausible unknown competitors. Of course after the first glance, he knew better that there are none to begin with, they are my students for goodness sake!

Conversational topics range from the common BGR to NS to universities, but never to supermarkets, babies and sales which yours truly is guru in. One of them, code-named FK, will be enlisted come 11 June, a date most dreaded in his mind I am sure. But being the very personal FK, no feelings about THE occasion was forthcoming.

To confess, I have been unduely sacarstic to him, remarks ranging from height to hairdo to outfits were aplenty in our exchanges. That's not to say that he didn't have fun at my expense with his comments about my being fat and slow during my pregnancy, suaku who will never read his blogs (the very reason why I started mine), my slimromatherapy sessions, etc. But I am truly concerned about his enlistment, the tough training he will undergo to say the least, like how all mothers would be worrying about their sons.

But FK will never go beyond the he he ha ha into his personal thoughts and feelings. Is our relationship so shallow that such personal stuff cannot be shared? Or that indeed there is a generation or professional gap which cannot be bridged. Whatever it is, I wish him all the best. He will be kept in my prayers.

Sabbaticle

To my impossibly huge blog fan base out there, so sorry for my recent sabbaticle. Will be back in full steam soon... ...tomorrow... ...after yet another inspiring dinner date with my students.