Today is a special day, a special one indeed,

A day to thank our mamas like a knight his noble steed.

A day to adorn our mama's hands with gifts and presents galore,

To express our gratitude and thanks and how mama we adore.

Then we'll feast upon chicken and good food,

And we'll let nothing take away the joyous and carefree mood.

Because today is a special day, a special one indeed,

A day called Mother's Day as it is known internationally.

And so with this poem hopefully great food we shall earn,

While others sit by and watch her cook, hoping to learn,

Her magical spicy sweet and mouth-watering recipe,

But they won't cook as great a dish as Mama, says my bear Duffy!

A special Mother's Day gift from Nicholas and his company of companions

HAPPY EASTER! (MY 100TH POST!)

I'm sure you can sense my excitement at reaching this sort-of-milestone in the blogging world: my 100th post! And what better thing to celebrate than EASTER!

Every Easter brings back memories of egg hunts and messy egg-decorating sessions where nobody left with clean fingers ... and the colour-stained t-shirts and walls after ... and of course, Easter parties!!! (Now I need to scour through our collection of photo albums for those pictures!!!)

This year, with the kiddos all "grown up", we had a sort-of-different Easter -- no coloured eggs and scrambles for hidden chocolate -- but every Easter's a good one and a reason to be thankful for being alive and believing!

Kiddos probably know this song best as the song from Shrek, but hey, before Shrek, there were... THE MONKEES:

A happy tune ;)

Also, I've been reading a little about Easter and this world never ceases to amuse and entertain!

Thank goodness for the Internet, I chanced upon this charming little tradition in Hungary...

(Photo by Attila Kisbenedek)

The tradition is called the "Watering of the girls", and this is how the 'Matyo' people of Hungary celebrate Easter! It's a fertility ritual that dates way back to Hungary's pre-Christian tribal history! That's CENTURIES ago! Whoa!

Speaking of believers...



Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings of the bluebird as she sings
The six o'clock alarm would never ring
But it rings and I rise wipe the sleep out of my eyes...

Exactly what I'll have to be doing in just about five hours... Oh well! All the better to send the kiddos off to school early :P Hmm perhaps wake them up with a good Hungarian splash of water heehee...

G'night, everyone!

Yol

A dreamy little song, company for the night!

I will live my life

As Alfred Lam's wife
On an island in the blue bay
He will take care of me
He will smell like the sea
And close to my heart he'll always stay

I'll bear three girls
All with strawberry curls
Melly and Mimi and Kim
While I'm combing their hair
I will catch his warm stare
On our island in the blue bay


Far away, far away
I wanna go far away
To a new life
On a new shoreline
Where the world turns blue
And the people are new
To another island
In another life

Doesn't this little ditty just make you want to jump up and dance? :) A great pick-me-up for a night such as this! I've been busy busy busy this whole day, what with activities all over our little island, and all the little ones to deal with!

Phew! But 12.47, the start of a new day, and the night is still young. Oh the laundry that awaits this happy momma... A lesser woman would shudder at the towering sight of it all!!!

Good night, good people, good night!
Yol

A look into the past!

I was looking through some old photos when I came across this gem, which hadn't made it to the first cut when Milly first put the photos on Facebook. Why not! This was a caught-unaware moment, neither of us properly in position for the photo, all funny smiles and closed eyes too! As Milly aptly captioned, hey! - Behind every great guy, there's always... HIS MOMMA! ;) Yup, I'll gladly take my bow, I'm happy to say Ben's turned out okay and more! If you look closely, you'll spot a little dab of paint on his shirt... One of many, I'll have you know. These little spots used to irk me - NO AMOUNT OF WASHING POWDER'S GONNA GET THAT OUT, BIG GUY. But you get used to his little idiosyncrasies... the paint-spot quirk just joined the many he's chalked up over the years! Ah well, guess he's got an artistic streak :P



Great song Milly just shared!

Took my love and I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well, the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Well, I've been afraid of changin'
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes bolder, children get older
I'm getting older too

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well maybe, well maybe, well maybe
The landslide will bring you down

Night, amigos!
Yolly

P.S. Mil's new blog's up here if you're up for a late-night read! Nick's right where he usually is, the funny little man ;)

Nicky's foodie adventures!

Our little Nicky's growing up quick and he contributes to the local newspaper, The Straits Times! Recently, he's been given his own column in another newspaper, aimed at youths, and it's called 'IN'!

We're ever so proud!

Here's his first column for 'IN'!

(click on this image for a bigger view!)

The first reaction from my family the moment I stepped into the house with two Home Economics books and an apron was one of utmost shock. My father asked, choosing his words very carefully, “Nicholas, are you sure you didn’t buy the wrong books? Aren’t you all taking Design and Technology?”

“It’s not like we’re never taking Design and Technology, Dad, we'll be doing that next year,” I assured him, deciding that it was best to wait for Friday to find out what was happening from the teacher herself. “Boys just aren’t suited for this Home Economics business,” he mumbled to himself.

Friday arrived without much fanfare, and the teacher hustled us out of the classroom and up the four flights of stairs to the Home Economics room, telling us all to sit down in the crammed space before finally starting on the lesson.

Our first lesson was an introduction to the many different kinds of nutrients and vitamins, and how we can maintain a healthy diet by eating certain kinds of food. It was very informative and interesting. "No cooking disasters yet!" I thought, relieved. I'd survived it unscathed!

However my father’s tone and his words lingered in my mind. I felt the same way as he did about teenage boys handling stoves and knives. The images of boys with acne-dotted faces and dark hands worn from the many times on the inclined pull-up bars stooped over a frying pan was almost laughable from my point of view.

Our failure to get a decent grade for a simple tuna sandwich seemed only to reiterate my father’s point. My weak attempt looked more like an explosion on a plate than a sandwich, with cucumbers poking out of the sides and tomatoes half sliding off the plate. Dad's predictions proved accurate time and time again, and by the third week of Home Economics class, as I accidentally let a bowl of flour slip from my hands and sent flour all over the counter top, I was ready to throw off my apron with a cry of "Je renonce!" in the manner of a posh French chef, taking note to let the egg yolks spill onto the floor.

And the moment my partner pulled out the half-burnt cupcakes we had made, we knew we'd had it. We waved our dishclothes like white flags in surrender. The way to a man's heart may be through his stomach, but we sure could do without the actual cooking! It was also much to our absolute horror that Home Economics might just include sewing or embroidery.

Perhaps Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay have made it big, but I prefer my dinners cooked by someone other than myself, or if I must prepare them myself, at least let them be a three-step process involving tearing packets, hot water, and three minutes of waiting time! Home Economics has proven quite an adventure so far. The occasional few might just succeed where others had fallen, but I just can’t wait till Design and Technology starts. Perhaps Dad will have something to say about that!

Kimmy on the flute!

Kim on the Flute from Kimberly Lam on Vimeo.

Pretty of the day - Kimmy! She's applying for a music scholarship, and I hear competition's tough, but here's wishing her all the best! ;) Cheers, Kimmy, here's to success!

<3>

My Valentines and their timepieces!

So the busiest hands at home were mine and Melly's, and we gleefully laid out our latest collection of Shinies to admire them, coo over them, make Mimi and Kimmy try them on, and oh, pretty much love them to bits!!!

I presented the girlios with their Valentine's Day pressies today! Couldn't wait for the actual day, and what better way to spend a Saturday night than to bask in the glittery glory of gems and pearls and jewels! Melly's almost done with her schooling days, too, and hey, these are great go-out-and-see-the-world-time gifts!

I bought each of the girls a special timepiece! Just looking at them made me think of our good ol' rabbit (hare?) from Alice in Wonderland! "Oh, I'm late, for a very very important date!!!" is such an oft-heard expression, especially from Melly. Late is an understatement! She'd wake up waaay past 3pm if I'd let her.

Mimi's delicate little pocket-watch, to match her classy style!

Melly's pocket-watch, complete with a little hidden skull (it's among the black crystals, and not immediately obvious! She was so thrilled to find it!)

Kimmy's pocket-watch which looks almost too sweet ;) suits her completely, I'd say!

And the boys? I'm sure you'll hear lots from them pretty sooooon!!!

Good night, pretties!
Yol

P.S. Got new shoes tooooo... Pictures soon, I suppose, once I can get them to upload! Where are my elves!

Once upon a December...

Once upon a December...

WE MADE AN ISLAND LIFE FOR US!

Allllright, so we spent most of our lives on an island, but what better way to spend the festive season than to stray beyond our shores and find ourselves basking in the warmth of an island we had yet to explore!

So off we sailed, over the South China Sea, and there we found ourselves - on the shores of a white sandy beach! Such was our joy, and such was our Christmas ;)

Sure has been a stretch since my last post here on A Pretty A Day, but hey, the pretties just keep comin'! Every day's a pretty day, but some of the prettiest days of the year for us were in December, during our Christmas getaway on a certain island with white sandy beaches!

This ain't fiction, my friends, no matter how much of a dream it all seemed like! Here's our Pretty of the Year 2010, Kimmy, spotted just before we set sail on that very adventure-in-December...

Kimmy, spying with those gorgeous eyes, and probably teasing our lil Nick! Who, by the way, took it upon himself to thank our hero personally...

Here's Nick giving Papa Alfie, good ol' Daddio, a great big hug! It was his Christmas treat, after all! Gotta love papa!

Mimi, the regular entertainer, got up to her antics as soon as we were on our way!

Of course, who could resist the cool sunnies Kimmy bought specially for our trip!

Pucker up, sweets!

Yup, of coursseeee I knew we were off to a great start!










Here's Mimi trying to hide from the camera as usual! Of course she didn't manage to!

The Pudge peers from where he perches!

5/7 of us, oh, and a frog! Little green thing had the time of his life right there!

Right away, we went click-happy and took picture after picture!
Ben was thrilled by the wind in his hair, and so was I!

Naturally, the clear water, and the strong waves were such a hit with the kiddos! (And a certain Pudge flopped gleefully into the water, letting the waves carry him back to the shore, and then tossing him forward again. Hey, you gotta understand it's not every day that the Pudge gets "carried"... given his current size and weight, it's a wonder the waves could lift him at all! Goes to show those were pretty strong waves!)

The twilight must've had a touch of magic, and the bickering buddies Kimmy and Nick were getting all chummy and performing some sort of ... here's-the-sea-and-we're-happy dance!

Mimi, too, was all smiles, hamming it up for the cameras! Hmmmmm, a photogenic star, she is, that Mimi!

Annnnd of course we could count on Nicky to breathe in the salt-laced seaside air, toss his arms out with dramatic flair, and declare the sea blue and pristine and a wonder to behold, and that it was time to grab a bite ;)
Of course you can always count on our favourite little pudge to be in the mood for food!!!

There's so much more to talk about, including one of the highlights of the month, where Melly manages to have her glasses snatched off her face by ... you guessed it ... a wave. HAHA!!!

Been busy busy busy what with the rainy season just easing off, and finally being able to get all my laundry done! The sky and I, we hadn't been agreeing very much the past few weeks!

Also, purchasing accessories and bags galore for my girlies and I to play dress-up has kept me up on sooo many occasions! It's just suuuuch a thrill making purchases and receiving parcels! The courier guy's almost a friend now!

Winks and kisses!
Yol ;*

Itty Bitty Kimmy Girl!

My itty bitty pinky princess Kimsy's all grown and just received her O-level results last week - a huge milestone that marks 16 sweet years of a beautiful girl!

She did amazingly well, and pretty much shocked us all! I was so nervous - even after promising myself to go the "que sera sera" way this time round - and when the phone rang with what was surely Kim on the line, I could barely hold it steady! And then I heard the sniffles! And I was petrified! But through the sniffles, "M-mom! M-mom! I've got A1s! All of them are A's and B's!" followed by unintelligible babble about her grades, but that's all I needed to know - the girl was happy! Joy to the world, I said!

She's all settled in the school she so desires, too. After all the nervous chiding (you should SEE her study ... she hardly ever touches those books), I'm glad to report that all is well!

Gotta love them kiddos!
Yol

Silver!

One by one each year flew by,
Since we both said “I do"
25 years of memories,
Shared by us two.
From big events and holidays
To simple daily pleasures,
Some challenges along life’s way,
Some joys that can’t be measured
One by one each year now gone,
But still they’re ours forever
Each and every memory,
Of a quarter Century together!

HAPPY SILVER ANNIVERSARY, DEAREST ALFRED!

Love to one and all this holiday season ;)

Yol

Drawers are for storing nice things in them. Be it a stray cell phone battery, a page torn out of a journal, a necklace fashioned out of wire and beads or even some five-year-old issue of a magazine, they are all stored in drawers.

I have taken to the habit of opening other’s drawers. (You can tell many things about people by looking at their drawers and it is a curious thing to see what people keep in their drawers is it not?) Those with a flair for writing may keep a stack of unused paper in their drawer, maybe a writing pad with a flap that only features two pages of writing. Lazy people keep rubbish in their drawers. The shiny paper that stamps are stuck on, unwritten postcards, folded paper that has collected dirt over the years, pencil shavings and perhaps even some pen that has leaked its last drop of ink.

The only item remaining classified under the miscellaneous section is a storybook with a weak plot with a laminated picture of some Korean pop singer wedged in between pages eleven and twelve (Probably some vain attempt at looking cool, but still, it remains miscellaneous.).

I have yet to stumble upon a drawer old enough to be storing journals that has pages that disintegrate at a light touch. Or a drawer with monkey feed in it. Or those drawers dead businessmen entrust with wills and official documents revealing that they were also working for a third party that plans to eliminate both companies that deal in identical areas.

I would love to open up a drawer and rifle through it to reveal some elaborate conspiracy to keep humanity from finding out about alternate, more reliable, sources of renewable energy, causing them to be more reliant on fossil fuels and thus causing ‘the man’ to earn more money from sales of fossil fuels.

I would love to have a drawer reveal its contents willingly, without locks or security systems, having it slide out easily on shiny and new ball bearings.

I would love to look into drawers, and having them look back up at me, both wondering, ‘What strange adventure could this entity send me off on?’

I would love to open a drawer, and find something someone was.

I would love to open a drawer, and find something someone is.

I love opening drawers.

I love drawers.

They’re fancy.

Written by Nicholas Lam

­­

A TOAST TO THE NICKY OF THE WEST, THE VERY BEST 12-YEAR-OLD!

My 89th post here on A Pretty A Day is gonna be dedicated to my littlest little one...

NICHOLAS THE WITTIEST!

Here are five wishes I'm wishing for you this year, Nicky...

1. I wish that you will always gaze upon beautiful sights, follow in only the best of footsteps, and tread carefully wherever you may roam.

2. I wish that you will always be smiling close to me.

3. I wish for you the best steak on every and any cause for celebration! Hmm... would that mean a steak a day?! ;)
4. May you always have the most wonderful cheerleaders!

5. I hope you'll always be flawless... in every plausible way ;)

Here's lookin' at ya, big boy!

To whatever the future may hold for me and you,
and with all the love anyone could possibly muster,
Your Momma Yolinda Anna

Desired Things

I've been tinkering about the home and whipping up some old recipes after the trips-to-the-past Alfie has taken me on. Oh don't worry, we don't literally have a time machine or anything that fancy! The good man's been uncovering some amazing Khek foodie yums! And we're so glad the kiddos have caught on, they're in love with the delectable treats!!!

I've been leaving this blog to guest writer Nick for some time, but here ya guys go! I'm back! And feeling in the mood for a lil poetry...

TODAY'S BEAUTIFUL POEM:-

Desiderata is Latin for "desired things", and is a poem by Indiana writer Max Ehrmann that reminds the reader to always "be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be", and to "keep peace with your soul"

Here is his poem in full!

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

What beautiful words :) Every time I read this, or hear the recording on the radio (they DO play it ever so often!), I'm reminded of my personal motto: STRIVE TO BE HAPPY!

Here's wishing you lot a happy happy day! *lo/*

Love
Yolinda Anna

Halloween!

Oh joy, it's Halloween once more! Ghouls and Goblins prowl the streets as Ghosts and Armadillos lurk in the shadows... Who is the one we can turn to for protection from this twenty four hours of haunting?Groin Man, a masked vigilante, sprinting to your aid from his lair in Jurong West! He dons a Groin Guard upon his face and Swimming Goggles help enhance his night vision...

So when your children go trick or treating at night, remember to be at peace with yourself for there is a man out there who looks over all of your city...He is Groin Man, your local vigilante.Occasions are always complete with pictures for memories! BOO!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIFY9h8DImg

John Lennon's songs really strike a chord with me. But having said that...

Recently, I commented on John Lennon's "Imagine".

Imagine there's no Heaven (Now that's just absurd.)
It's easy if you try (Try what - imagining there's no heaven?)
No hell below us (I can live with that.)
Above us only sky (What's John Lennon - an agnostic?)
Imagine all the people (Imagine the people? What for?)
Living for today (Riiiiight - Everything's about living.)

Imagine there's no countries (Heeey.)
It isn't hard to do (What about all the political differences and differences?)
Nothing to kill or die for (Land, oil, resources that are easily depleted...)
And no religion too (Some people can't really comply with that.)
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace (That can happen... Reeeeeally slowly.)

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one (We captain the same boat, John Lennon.)
I hope someday you'll join us (When will you answer my phone calls?)
And the world will be as one (Come on... Pick up pick up pick up.)

Imagine no possessions (HIDE TEDDY!!!!!!)
I wonder if you can (NO I CAN'T!!!!)
No need for greed or hunger (I call dibs on the KFC outlets.)
A brotherhood of man (I call dibs on the Chief Executive Officer position.)
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world (No can do.)

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us (YES! A CONNECTION! COME ON JOHN - PICK UP!)
And the world will live as one

-Nicholas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYXKaAzEJrk

Here's a great video I found starring a homeless man with two singing Kermits singing Under Pressure by Queen! Oh how I wish some frogs around the house got off their green buttocks and do something useful once in a while!

Happy Birthday to the Best Sister One Could Ever Have!

I woke up today to a surprise on my bedside table, with a message on a post-it for me.

"I wanted to beat everyone to it! Happy birthday Melissa!"


A Gift To Be Given
A short story by Nicholas Lam

The time machine fizzled and crackled and out stepped three figures. One was wearing a shirt and a vest that made him look like a pure nut head, another wore a spacey romper complete with circuits running all over his torso. They both looked as if they had just come from a fancy dress party.

The third, of course, was undoubtedly me. I had travelled through time to bring my time travelling clones together for my sister’s birthday, and I must say, they did put in a little effort in finding cool gifts for my sister.

“What did you bring, Nicholas?” I asked Nicholas of the past. I was expecting him to pull out a great antique model of a ship later when Melissa was receiving presents. “Someone left Thomas Edison’s prototype light bulb at a bar, so I found it, but instead of leaking the information to the public, I’m giving it to Melissa.” He whispered like it was a great conspiracy against the public.

“That’s what I did too, but I leaked it on the Internet before I brought it here. Evading crime with time travel, high five, Nicholas!” Future Nicholas said, high fiving Past Nicholas.

I remember stiffening at the thought of Melissa receiving an invention a thousand years old and the same invention, which was still a thousand years in the making. But by now, it didn’t make much of a difference.

Melissa shook Past Nicholas’ present in glee, to which there was a crash inside the box. Melissa froze, putting the gift down beside her gently. Future Nicholas presented her with his present, which she shook, and to her delight, nothing broke.

Then I gave her my gift, and hugged her for a long time. “My gift to you is friendship, Melissa! And as far as I know, it’s awesome to be friends with me!”

Ribbons Undone

I woke up to this Surprise Video yesterday morning, and the smile just never left my face! I'm still smiling! And the video's playing on loop! The girlios Mimi and Kimmos just left for their exams... Mimi's off to another Music performance, and Kimmo's off to sit for (to quote her...) "a very easy, no problem-o exam that-can-be-done-with-my-eyes-closed"... Alright, Kimmos! I'm sure they'll do fine!

Now back to my special surprise video! ;) I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!! It was a huge surprise for me because it contained never-before-seen footage of the kids and their antics!!!

<3

Yol

Girls, girls, girlios! Froggy-o's!

My pretty pair was running about home today :) Seeing our lil doggy dame up and about and full of life brings sweet relief! The poor lil pup was wheezing and coughing pretty badly just a few days ago, but thanks to the girls' speedy action, she's back on her paws! And fast, too! They've sure put the bark back into the dog!

Kimmy's resplendent as always, even in her PJs!!!

Gotta love these girlies! Check out the lil pink ponytail Chloe's sporting!

Also, I've added five lil orange fishies to my Tank of Happiness! They do add lots of life to our kitchen! Things are going juuust swimmingly, even with the old angelfish being calm and serene! The new Famous Five Fishies are really going at it, darting about like that!!! I love feeding them, they always seem to be hungry! And smart, too! They always get swimming when they catch sight of me! :D Now who said fishes had 5-second memory spans! That miiight apply for frogs, though! ... Heard that, Ollie Kodok Frogobo?


Love,
Yol

Mimi Darlin', Pretty of The Forever!

My Pretty-of-the-day!

MIMI DARLIN'!

Look at that cheeky grin! Nothing much has changed, other than your size, Mimi! Your smile and the glint in your eyes still belie that precocious (but precious) girlie you've always been!


Now I need Melly to show me how to work this scanner, I've got these huge stacks of albums named "MIMI" that I have to scan and upload... You deserve a big feature, gal! ;)'

Here's a song dedication, just for you you you!



Love
Your Momma