My son is British!

Well, one-quarter British actually. But you wouldn’t have known it if you heard him speak yesterday.

And today.

He now sounds like the Queen. And yes, by that I mean THE Queen Elizabeth II who resides at the famous Buckingham Palace.

Although, the now-defunct rock band - Queen - was also British.

But I digress.

Max has picked up a distinct English accent. After two weeks in London.

And he certainly ain’t faking it like American actress Renee Zellweger in the movie adaptation of the novel Bridget Jones’s Diary.

I think he is rather chuffed about it. And so am I.

I hope he never loses it.

Home at last

The Fenby father and son team finally made it back to Singapore, after a gruelling 36-hour journey which began in London on Friday evening, involving one missed flight, one cancelled flight and a nearly four-hour long cab ride.

I will spare you the details, not because it’s a long story, but because it will include too many expletives.

All I will say, is that they should have arrived a day earlier, and that London’s public transportation system sucks.


And here they are, having a well-deserved rest.

Excuse me, are you a model?

Max: Why, yes. Yes I am.

And everywhere Miss Fenby went

Now all she needs are a staff and sheep.

A Taste of Belgian Chocolate Heaven

[Disclaimer: This post is for non-coffee drinkers who love chocolate.]

Did you know you can order the Belgian Chocolate Ice-Blended at Coffee Bean WITHOUT the coffee?


As singer-songwriter Jason Mraz would say:

I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate…

Where's Max?

If you are wondering what my 29-month-old toddler is up to these days, so am I.

You see, he has been gallivanting the streets of London for over a week now, under the watchful eyes of Dad, Nana and Papi of course.

There’s been "no-sound, no-picture" since last Sunday (It’s been impossible to have a decent chat with him due to the time difference).

Finally, a photo message showed up in my mobile phone today.


Here’s Max, sharing a picture with his very cute cousin Alice, looking somewhat forlorn.

I miss you too, sweetie.

Head Rush

This is what Her Royal Roundness got up to today:


Devouring 10 pages of literature on Peek-a-boo, I love you, in full-colour, in 20 seconds flat.

I’m thinking she’s looking a little over-stimulated.

Pretty Sunny

I broke out Kate’s new orange Carter's sunsuit today, and thought it was fitting to take her outside into the sun.

She waits expectantly.

And then,

“Woah, Mum, it is HOT. Shall I look downwards away from the glare of the sun so you can take a good shot of my Cheeks?”

I can only assume this expression means, I have had enough. Get me out of the sun, NOW!

And it’s all smiles again once Kate is back in the shade.

I know what you are thinking. And I want to assure you that Kate has a neck. The chins situation is only temporary.

And so are her dimpled thighs.

With that, we end Kate’s little adventure in the sun.

Of course, until the debut of the next Carter's sunsuit.

Investing 101

These are scary times in the global financial markets.

Unless you have been living under my stack of shoes (and/or clothes), you should know what I am talking about.

Apart from the handful of investors who have had enough foresight to hold CASH or GOLD or the JAPANESE YEN, the rest of us in the investment world are pretty much f**ked.

Yes, I am an investor who appears to have only hindsight in investing.

And I’m not just referring to my retirement savings investments (Damn it, it’s been 10 years of negative growth).

I give you:

Exhibit A – Peach chiffon dress with sequins bought in Singapore, 2001, for a wedding at the last minute.


Premium Paid: SGD500
Investment Rationale: I don’t have anything in peach! The sequins are so pretty!
Asset Wearability History: Once
Today’s Worth: Takes up 0.1% of my wardrobe space. Peach isn’t even my colour. And the sequins are so 80’s.
On Hindsight: Never buy anything at the last minute.

Or have a look at:

Exhibit B – Brown faux pas fur jacket bought in Hong Kong, 2003.

Premium Paid: HKD900, after discount.
Investment Rationale: It’s 30% off! I want to look like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex And The City!
Asset Wearability History: None
Today’s worth: Not sure. Depending on where the campaign against animal fur trade is at today.
On Hindsight: Never try to look like Carrie Bradshaw unless you are Sarah Jessica Parker.

Finally:

Exhibit C – Bright red high heels bought in Melbourne, 2007.

Premium Paid: AUD99
Investment Rationale: A Wardrobe Must-have, according to Vogue.
Asset Wearability History: Once
Today’s Worth: Based on my own unscientific Shoe Depreciation Index (SDI), about AUD40.
On Hindsight: Don’t believe everything you read, even if it’s Vogue.

Now, while I have your attention, does anyone want to take these items off my hands?

I’ll give you a good deal.

Hello?

High chair with a Higher purpose

Attention all Mums of Five-and-a-half-month-olds.

Are you still grappling with sleepless nights?

And above that having to deal with a clingy infant who will not let you out of her sight, or God forbid, put her down for two seconds?

I may have a solution for you.

Introducing the chair.


If this looks like the run-of-the-mill, garden-variety high chair for babies, capable of three height adjustments and two reclining positions, that’s because, it is exactly that.

But the chair is capable of one more feat that few people know about.

Here’s Kate in the chair at noon.

Not having lunch (she isn’t on solids yet), but rather, chilling quietly on her own in the garden, chewing on her toes and watching the occasional soap bubble(s) float by.

I can almost hear her say: “Yes, Mum. All I wanted was to be at eye level with You Tall People, and wheeled about the house at my bidding like a Queen on Her Throne.”

We get it, Kate, and we gladly comply.

Anything for the extra half hour freed up to finish my lunch, while leisurely flipping through the Life! section of The Straits Times newspaper.

And if I'm lucky, maybe even slip in a 10-minute nap when Her Highness isn't looking.

She's a big girl now

Kate turned 24 weeks today.

To date, she can squint, grunt, grab-and-put-dummy-in-mouth and chew her toes.

What a star.

Happy 24th 'birth-week' kiddo!

Once bitten, Twice 'not' shy

I felt terribly annoyed yesterday, mostly with myself.

I had lost a $40 voucher which I redeemed recently at a certain up-market baby fashion chain store in Singapore.

A voucher which I spent $200 at the store to qualify.

$200 on random baby stuff that I did not really need.

Yes, I was a willing victim of a marketing ploy.

But that’s not the rub.

I went back to the store at Tampines Mall yesterday, picked out a few clothes items, and at the cashier, pleaded with the manager to give me the $40 discount anyway, since the store had all the records of my spending, including evidence that I had redeemed the voucher.

As expected, she politely refused, and said the best she could do was to put a block on my voucher, so no one else could use it.

Now HOW EXACTLY DOES THAT HELP ME? Although I can certainly see how the $40 savings could help the store.

So what did I do?

I stormed out, drove into town and bought the exact same items from another store of the same chain at the Bugis Junction mall.



Yes, I am racking up credits to another $40 voucher.

I truly am a sucker.