#141 Facebook birthdays

The age of birthday cards seems to be winding to a close. In its place is Facebook's automatic reminders and posts on my wall for all to see. Still, there's always space there for special people to write their special notes. A quick screenshot and I've captured it for sentimental posterity. 

#140 Fake Christmas trees

I hate ants, so real Christmas trees just soundly cut it for me, hence this safer alternative. 

#139 Facebook

I share a lot on Facebook, unabashedly so. But sometimes Facebook gives back, unexpectedly. =]

#138 Baby Bonus

Jasmine and I just found out that the cash gift was raised to $6000 last year, from $4000. Essentially, that ensures the actual delivery is paid for. What a fillip!

#137 Older sisters

Being an older brother, I've always believed older sisters do a better job with their younger kin. I believe Sarah will be an awesome older sister, and that Emma and her will have as strong a bond asJasmine  and Angela's. Instead of sibling rivalry, we will have sibling chivalry. 

#136 McDonald's Surprise Alarm

I had my doubts when this app was launched. But since I downloaded it, I've accrued a lot of savings. On the down side though, I've eaten here a lot more. This is the maximizer in me - companies love customers like me for their loyalty programs. 

#135 Children's imagination

They really see things we don't. This tote bag was apparently an apron. Bless. 

#134 Surprises

I'm not one for surprises, but when they come, they really take my breath away. Jasmine bought me this to commemorate me being a father for the second time. I'm gonna print 'Papa, #2' on this. 

#133 Independent children

Sarah has grown in independence immeasurably in the last month. She even goes to the toilet on her own now! Thank God she is a secure child with little separation anxiety. 

#132 The opportunity to give

Thank God for the opportunity to give. We are rather blessed in Singapore, and one overlooked outlet for used clothes and toys is overseas. While shipping costs would normally not make this feasible, thank God for those willing to go the extra mile to make a difference in others' lives, making it possible for those who can't go to give instead. 

#131 Growing up

I am secretly gonna miss taking Sarah to the potty at home. After all, there will come a time when I can't, and you don't know what you have till it's gone. =[

#130 Singapore food

I think to be pregnant in Singapore is a pretty blessed thing; it's probably the only place where the variety of food outstrips possible cravings. Heng ah. 

#129 Water parks

I'm not a huge fan of water parks. The sun is too hot, the place is too crowded, the slides are too scary – the list of complaints goes on and on. However, everything changes when you have a child. It is no longer how much fun you have, but how much fun she has. What's priceless is the trust she shows in you when surrounded by water and lots of people, clinging on to you for dear life.

#128 Drizzles

Drizzles are by far the perfect time to play football. There's no sun, just a light breeze blowing, and the rain just washes the sweat off your face. As a result, you run more, and you only feel the effect of it the day after. Yes, your traction is reduced, but that just gives you another excuse when your move doesn't come off. All in all, your increased endurance makes it a more enjoyable and high-quality game. If only these drizzles could be predicted with better accuracy…

#127 Reporting officers

It is probably the most underrated aspect of leadership - that anyone would actually want to follow you. After all, how can you be a leader if no one wants to follow you? Putting aside the notion of coercive leadership, where people are forced to follow you, it becomes evident how difficult leadership is - not only do you have to get the job done, you've got to influence people to follow you.

Over the years, I've had a few Reporting Officers, or ROs. I've been blessed that many of them go to the extent of finding out who you are as a person, rather than focus on what you are doing. After all, when you win the heart, it's that much easier to work together.

So, to those who have made an effort to know me, and the health limitations I work with, and clarify if I behave differently than expected, thank you. I hope to do the same.

#126 Slumber parties

At 2.5 years old, Sarah has already had her first slumber party. Staying with her cousins Joash and Kayla at their Tampines Waterview condominium, Sarah enjoyed swimming all she wanted at the sprawling wading pool, complete with slides and sprays. As each Sarah-less night passed, we realized we missed the little porker. Soon, we were hankering for her return, and kept asking when she would be back. We realized we had a pretty boring life without her, and even Wheel of Fortune wasn't so fun anymore. So while slumber parties are fun and give us some respite from parenthood, we still prefer having Sarah around.

#125 Ice packs

Although this was suggested years ago by my late dermatologist, I've only recently been forced to consider cold compresses as part of measures to reduce inflammation and alleviate discomfort. This is mainly to reduce my reliance on oral steroids, considering the side effects that come with long-term use.

20-minute applications do the trick, with at least one-hour intervals in between. Since it takes two hours to freeze an ice pack, I need at least two packs that I can alternate.

In school, the office recently acquired some ice packs for injuries, but I've been using these with a flannel between lessons. My productivity has definitely been affected, but its been reasonable so far. Let's hope this is temporary.