This Parenting Gig

 I have to admit to getting easily frustrated . And it has mostly to do with my toddlers. Maybe because they are with me most of the time that when they ignore me when I ask them to do something, it really gets to me. I find myself screaming and saying things I don't mean that at some point, I just zip my mouth and bite my tongue out of guilt because of the stuff I have said and done.


When I go through such mixture of emotions, it makes me think that one reason why God gifted humanity with the privilege of raising the next generation is to show us what we are like in our relationship with him. I feel like in the midst of my own emotional rollercoaster that God is reminding me of how gracious he is to me, and how much he loves me no matter how I behave. And with all the love and grace showered on me, I won't be able to help it but show grace towards others, especially to my own cheeky toddlers.


A mum friend aptly said it when she messaged that she honestly doesn't know how we can parent without Jesus. It is challenging enough to be parents to kids when you are relying on a power beyond your own strength. It is even worst when you live in a world where you have to try an live up to standards that's way out of this world and impossible to live up to. I can only agree with my friend, after an ongoing battle with toddlers who have minds of their own with just about everything. And while I am at it, I pray that these little people that we have been entrusted to raise will remember a grace-filled upbringing, because we received the same, God help us.

Our Journey with Prams

As promised, here's my take of the prams we have used. I know I kind of mentioned  product reviews but I am now not that sure if I have the time to be very thorough. 

 

We had to bid goodbye to our best pram ever of a little over two years. Our two favourite toddlers abandoned our baby jogger city select double for perhaps a year or so, in an effort to prove that they are big kids, as opposed to babies. After leaving it sitting in the garage, we thought it was time to put it up for sale on eBay.

baby jogger city select reviews

We found the pram sometime in 2010 after a rather thorough search for a double pram. We made use of the Google search and found a comparative compilation of single and double prams. We  also stalked forums and websites where regular mums, from their own experience, wrote about which brand worked for them. There were so many available choices and it is can get really confusing. In the end what made us pick this brand was a mum's post about having to order at a shop in America that ships overseas and how she was okay even if the warranty won't be honored here because she was so confident of its high quality. Since she posted links, we investigated and in the end did what she did.

A week or so after placing an order online, a UPS package was delivered, and thus began our love affair with this double pram, valued at half the price including postage compared to how much we would have paid if we got it locally.

So how did we find it? Best pram ever! Worth every penny! If I had known about it in 2009 when we had little Mister, it would have saved us all the money we spent on prams.

The first one we bought was a love n care delta stroller just before the little Mister came. It was on sale at half the price at toys r us and as a first time parent, as with most things in life, the question I asked was "what will it cost me?" Nevermind that we lived in a second level unit without a lift that time..nevermind that was very heavy to carry upstairs..I must say it was really sturdy and solid 4-wheel pram and if we lived on the ground level, I am sure it wouldn't be a problem.

Silverpop reviews

I began looking out on eBay for a lightweight pram and that was how I found our silvercross pop. Loved that it was light, easy to carry and really useful when we only had one small pram sitting toddler and would recommend it to anyone. My little issue was losing the small push button on one of the sides making the seat stuck upwards. It was alright for small babies but if you have toddlers that wanted their legs down, it will be a problem. The way I resolved it was by using a little tool that could take out the push button on one side and put it on the other side to adjust the seat. It requires some patience, otherwise, I would have to leave it sitting in the garage as I did not find a replacement button at any of their service centers.

zuzu reviews

And then I saw a friend's umbrella stroller that she got for under $30. We had to get it; I must confess that it has been our most used pram lately, especially when we go out via public transport. And true to its name it can be folded like an umbrella.

Altogether we probably spent a little under $1000 for all of our four prams. The baby love we gave to a family, while the silver pop  and the zuzu we still use from time to time when the wind blows towards its direction, or we needed to get somewhere faster as opposed to walking.

So back to the baby jogger - we actually managed to sell it for the same price that we bought it for. It does have a really great resell value and it was a great investment and would highly recommend it whether as a single or double pram.

Life Lessons from a Kids Concert

We were at a Yo Gabba Gabba concert at the Luna Park one chilly saturday morning having gotten three tickets during the presale some time in April. There were two shows then, at 10:30 am and 4:30 pm. We thought the afternoon show was way too late so we opted for the morning show. I looked for VIP tickets so we can go to a meet and greet with the cast but it was full so the next best thing was to go for premium tickets, or so I thought. After a few hours, it was announced that a 1:30 pm show was opened and by then I was kicking myself for settling for the next best thing. It did not help that we arrived at the venue when every one was seated, only to find out that our assigned seat was on the third row from the back.

Big Top brimming to capacity

By the time DJ Lance started leading the gabba crew to sing and dance, my two toddlers would rather sit and watch instead of sing and dance along like they usually do at home. They sang some popular tunes, some of which have helped us explain ideas and concepts to our young minds.

Two of my favourites were the following:

All my friends are different - the lyrics of this song very well echoed the message of a lesson our toddlers had - that we may all be different, but we are all special, and God loves us very much. I love that it is teaching children to be tolerant and accepting, even in the midst of obvious differences.

Get your sillies out - it was my first time to hear this song but it became an instant favourite. From the first few  lyrics that says " the sillies are crazy little creatures that live inside of us and need to be shaken out, we gonna have to jump shake and shimmy them out so come on let's all do it together", I couldn't help but love the song. The image that came to mind was that of a person going through a tough time, with  issues from both inside and outside trying to discourage and dishearten the weary soul. In an effort to get out and get rid of the tough situation, it is very easy to isolate oneself and stay away  from God, thinking that it is best to go to Him when things are sorted out or even question His relevance. The other thing is to try and do things on your own when you are supposed to "jump, shake and shimmy" them out not by yourself but with others.

The next time Yo Gabba Gabba comes down under, you can be sure that we will not settle for the next best thing. In life it is very easy to settle for the next best thing just so you get tickets into an "event". But God wants us to experience the best, not just sit and watch, but get front seat tickets and enjoy the ride with Him. The tricky bit is learning to wait on Him and hear His voice before we plunge in. The question is, are we willing to pay the price to get the full experience?

Maybe by next time our toddlers will not be shy but will dance and sing their hearts out, just like the many mums and dads who came as chaperones and ended up having the best time at the concert.

Easy Rainbow Cake

I know that I already mentioned this, but I think this rainbow cake deserves an entry of its own. A few months ago, I decided to make my beautiful daughter her birthday cake and it turned out rather well - well enough that a dear friend of mine is brave enough to trust me to make the same one for her son's birthday next month. Having gained more confidence, I thought I'd venture to make my darling son his birthday cake as well. I initially thought of making him one of those train cakes, but he saw the rainbow cake that I was looking at and he preferred it so that's what we both dreamt of making.

For his actual birthday, we made a test cake, but instead of using white icing, I used the chocolate frosting recipe that I have tried, tested and loved. Instead of following the lovely rainbow cake recipe I found, I thought I would make it easy on me and use the 4 ingredients cake recipe that I have used before. I made three mixes, divided it into seven portions and started colouring into my desired rainbow colour. I initially used my rectangle glass mould but it was not thick enough that even if I greased it, it still got stuck. I tried my round silicon mould and it worked better. However at that stage I already used up two portions and I wasn't very patient to make a new one so I thought because it was just a test cake, I might as well just use what is available.

We didn't really plan on him having a party but he got pumped when a dear friend promised him a birthday party and he kept raising the question since. I knew then that I had to make a better version of the test cake.

Having that bit of experience, I decided not to make the whole batter but  make separate ones and colour as I bake. I thought making 1/3 of the recipe (as opposed to 1 cup of each ingredients)  would be okay, but it still was not thick enough. I ended up doing 2/3 of the recipe but in hindsight, 1/2 would have been enough.

When I finished all seven layers, I searched for a white chocolate icing and found an easy one on the Cadbury kitchen  website. I was tempted with how easy it was  and how few the ingredients required to make, plus I only needed the microwave. I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. I thought it would turn out too sweet, because I used two packs of the white chocolate melts but in the end it tasted just right. I found it really hard to ice the sides though because the ganache hardened too much, it was not easy to spread.

For next time, I am going to try this white chocolate icing recipe.

If you have a tried and tested go to cake recipe, I suggest  that you give it a go and just colour the batter into your preferred rainbow consistency. Otherwise, you can try the one I used from 4 Ingredients. Take note that I have adjusted the amount based on how much I will need for each colour.

Cake Recipe
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup self rising flour

Preheat oven to 180C. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Tint the whole mixture with purple. Grease your favourite cake mould, line with baking paper and pour mixture. Cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Let cake stand for 5 minutes. Repeat six times and tint with the remaining rainbow colours.

Thanks Irene for the photos and collage
Thanks photovisi for the edit

 For the frosting, I am still experimenting so it is best to use what has already worked for you.

Place purple cake on board and add frosting. Top with blue cake. Repeat with remaining frosting and aqua, green, yellow, orange and red cakes, using frosting for each layer. Spread remaining frosting over the top and side of cake. Sprinkle with 100s and 1000s.Serve and resist the temptation to eat everything in one go.

Thinking Out Loud..

Far be it that it will be said of me that I do not care  because when I go to events,  I often catch myself  thinking  whether or not it is something we can replicate, localize and own. Having said that we found ourselves at a local school festival in another suburb,  give or take 70 kilometers away from us, at the invitation of one of our favourite families in all of Sydney. We had a sleepover at their beautiful   home the

birthday boy and his rainbow cake

night before, one our favourite boy called his birthday party that he completely ignored , having slept on our drive and didn't wake up til 2am. Good thing he eventually went back to bed and gave me some rest. We had to wake him up that morning lest he will miss his "party" altogether.

bubble play

yummy cake pops

dragon girl with Tita Irene

When we got to the school, which is where our friends' boys attend,  there was a program happening, probably showcasing local talents. I said probably because the whole time we were there, I  visited the area where they held an artwork display, got a cuppa in the adjacent room where the morning tea was beautifully presented and "sold" by gold coin donation.  The only other place where I spent most of my time was at the face painting area because my two favourite kids wanted a turn. The little miss wanted a dragon and she was happy to stay on the queue. The little mister wanted a spiderman but keeps moving around, thus, missing his spot.I must say I lost my patience but I wanted to believe that I was teaching him a lesson. In the end, it felt like I was the one who needed all the lessons.

one happy spiderman

dragon girl with Uncle Dada

  

free for those who wanted some

Right in front of the facepainting queue, the Smith's family had a stand with lots of fruits and vegetables to give away. Let me just say that we went home that day with a bag full loot, it looked like we did our fruits and veggies shopping for the week Maybe it was just as well that I got stuck in the facepainting queue.

fun slides

sausages and corn cobs, anyone?

more play area for kids

how would you like your hair coloured?

program
All Photos via Irene's Iphone

Needless to say it was a fun day especially for the little boy who thought it was his party! We thank our amazing friends for having us and for taking us to the school open day.

It really made me wonder if it is something we can do as a community event at the upcoming alumni homecoming. I know that the usual activity is for the silver jubilarians to do a tree planting or feeding or clean up. And before the haters, no-can-do, lets-see-if-they-can-pull-it-off thinkers even begin toexpress their opinion, let me be the first to admit that this is NOT a one man or woman show. It has to be a collaboration of many individuals, groups, batches and maybe even the alumni association with a common goal of giving back to the community.

I wonder if this can be done in the high school grounds? Or in the town plaza? Maybe from 10 AM to 2PM on Easter Sunday? I wonder if there are inflatable slides or jumping castle rentals available? I wonder if there are those who will make donations towards sausage sizzles, sandwiches and drinks so we can give away a free light lunch? I wonder if there are those who make  local delicacies and if there are those who are happy to make a donation in exchange? I wonder if we can make 500 goodie bags to give away to kids? I wonder if there will be people who can share their talents in music or dance for the program? I wonder if there are those who can bring their outdoor toys so kids who don't have can play for a few hours? I wonder if an easter egg painting competition can work? I wonder if there are people who will volunteer to man each activity? I wonder if someone else thinks this can be done in our little town of Tago with a total population of under 30,000?

Don't mind me, I am just thinking out loud! At this stage I  don't know if I will even be able to  make it home in the Philippine summer of 2014 but I am happy to help where I can. In the meantime, I am getting off my soapbox.

Of Freebies, Bumps and Babies

I don't know why I usually end up in such exhibits.Maybe I am a sucker for freebies and free tickets always come my way. Or it could be the goodie bags or the heavily discounted sales at the venue. Or is it the really cute baby and toddler stuff that are ridiculously expensive, even with the discount that I knew I wouldn't buy even if I had the money. Maybe it is the live programs for toddlers that they always have on. Either way, I found myself (with my family) one Saturday queueing at a full venue because the only other option was an arts and crafts market at a local school and going to the Sydney Olympic Park  sounded more exciting.

As I was walking around the crowded venue, I was once again reminded of the many beautiful things available in the market and I can't help but drool over them. At the same time it made me think how there are so many products out there that is not really necessary, they are just beautiful.And expensive. So it got me thinking - why don't I make a checklist of products that worked for us and maybe review some that I have actually used. But that's a topic for another time.

I guess the biggest win for us that day was catching Elmo and Cookie Monster and having had their pictures taken and we had two happy toddlers. We didn't stay long  because it was too full but when we
checked the program we found a meet and greet with them so we rushed back and found a short qeueu - woohoo!!

There was a fairy entertainment on the stage right next to the meet and greet and we made a quick stop and another picture taking. Our little girl wasn't as enthusiastic about having her pictures taken as she usually does - maybe the little mister has more modelling potential! (HAHA)

Not sure if I am a fan of this show. It really is no different from  the baby and toddler show at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. I thought that both compete for the same market but the latter has bigger venue and more room. And while I can't say I have taken the time to compare the details but it certainly gives an impression that the latter is considerably larger than the other.

I suppose this is it for now. If you are interested in the product reviews, come back and check this out again sometime.

Birthday Musings

I am not one to make a big deal of my own birthdays, especially when it means moving from one decade to another. I have to admit waking up to a headache from the day before, which immediately made me think it comes naturally when one gets to a certain age.

I was going to say that I didn't like the attention, but to be honest, I am missing the "bless the birthday celebrator" tradition I grew up in with my friends. I just made up the name of course because we never called it anything - where there's a birthday celebrator, friends just tend to gravitate and it always seemed natural to end up in conversations that lead to blessing the person, mostly where we thought of one or two things, depending on the number, we love and appreciate about them and we told them in the group's presence. It probably sounds corny but for some reason, whether as a birthday girl or one of the friends, we all leave encouraged and blessed. Maybe it is just me, but quality time being my top love language and words of appreciation coming close second, it really makes me feel really special and well, LOVED. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate presents, but it is probably in the bottom of the love language scales and even if I don't get one, it doesn't make me feel loved any less.

This year, friends thought of surprising me with a birthday lunch, but because I was so "clever", I figured it out. Instead I invited them over to my house along with a few other friends without mentioning that it was my birthday. I thought if I didn't want to make a fuzz out of it, why should they? So lunch it was, and what a good time to catch up with some friends that I hadn't seen for a while.

I woke up to a very nicely made birthday card with some carefully worded note including something to the effect of looking younger than my age. It was a stretch but hubby did volunteer to wait til 9am to drive our little mister to preschool, saving me a total of 40 minutes to an hour of walking, so I was happy to let it slide.

I am tempted to make a list of forty things I am grateful to God for, but we all know that when a girl says list, it is a list of words per item and I did want to make this short. I must

Photo Credit+flowers: Tess Colgrave
Thanks, mare! Rachel Kelly for the cake

say I am very thankful for the life God has blessed me. He has blessed me with the most amazing husband and two awesome kids. I thank God for our families. While they all live overseas, distance doesn't seem to hinder the close family ties that connects us. In the absence of our biological family, God has connected us to a great local church family where we got to meet like minded individuals and families in similar season in life like us. We are blessed that we still get to honor God and be a part in advancing His kingdom even in this season, and not be hindered by it. I thank God for the friends He placed in our lives, for the opportunity to make sisters and brothers by choice,  and for the many blessings that keeps coming our way.

You know how I started my day with all sorts of body pains? Let me just say that when I started thinking and thanking God for everything I was grateful for, it all just went away - and I must say, it was a happy birthday indeed!

He is FoUR!

All the waiting has finally paid off. He is four by himself, not three, like his sister, in the past four weeks! Four. How fast time flies. It seemed just yesterday that we brought home a little over 2 kilos bundle of joy after staying for nearly 5 weeks at the hospital.

He was fast asleep but we brought his cake to the room to wake him up so dad can leave for work. As we sang  happy birthday to the top of our voice, he simply opened his eyes to acknowledge us and went back to sleep. He eventually woke

 

up because we kept on singing. As we lighted the candles on his cake, we found out that the fire starter has stopped working so we had to console him that he can blow his cake again later after going to the shop. After cutting and seeing the beauty of his cake, he looked up  with grateful eyes and gave away the biggest cuddles.


 
As he celebrates his birthday, I can't help but think of the times that he  made our family really proud. It's a bit tricky because if truth be told, he doesn't really need to do anything to make us proud - just by being himself, the special gift that he is from God - is more than enough! 

If I do have to pick a few though, I can't forget  that time when we were in an indoor playground and there were two girls shouting "no boys! no boys!" at the jumping castle. I was so impressed when he replied - this is for everybody - and went on playing! What a brave thing to say to two older girls at that by a then three year old! He loves playing with older kids and at times it doesn't turn out very well. One time these boys were picking on him and I was so proud of the way he pretended and played along with them that the boys had no choice but to play with him. I wasn't there when that happened so when I was told about it I asked why he didn't tell an adult. He replied, "I'm telling you now, mum!"

Every time we go to the park, he would get drawn to the disabled play area because it is locked and he wanted to go inside. One morning he was on to it again so I had to explain that it was only for special kids, thinking that it would be harder for me to explain disabled to him. He surprised me when he replied - "but I am special too mum!" remembering most likely the time when we had a follow up conversation about how we are all different but God made us special and he loves us very much, thanks to a Noah's Ark lesson at church! Naturally, I groped for words to explain to him in a way that he will understand and after a while he did, thank God!

Happy birthday little mister! We love you and we thank God that he choose for you to be part of our family! We are honoured and blessed that we get to share your journey!

On Motherhood

Whoever said motherhood is easy is either lying or had others raise her kids for her. After only a few years into this 'job', I find that no amount of 'preparation' ever really gets you ready for your 'role'. By preparation, I don't just mean the insights I get from the books I  read and the seminars I have attended. Although I must say that a course on motherhood would come in handy but as all mothers will agree, you sort of wing things as you go and do things by trial and error. It doesn't help that all kids, even twins who share a womb, are different, making it hard to create a curriculum.

I suppose I am talking about the kind that I saw as modelled by my own mama. And on that note, can I just pause and brag about her for a bit? I have to say she is one tough cookie, having given birth to six kids, losing her firstborn after a few days due to sickness, and then two years later giving birth to me and four others while holding a full time job as a school teacher in a local public school. Sure she had people around her helping her out but to juggle raising a family and keeping a job, let alone doing it full time, seems unthinkable to me. And then add to that raising me, being the stubborn child that I was, giving her enough challenges probably from the time I started talking. I thank God for her patience, wisdom and humility. She did the best she can. Not even her humble origins can stop her from getting educated, and making sure, along with Papa, that we all get our degrees so all five of our diplomas get prominently

our youngest sister has yet to request for her diploma from school

displayed on the "wall of  fame" at  home. While she feels that us getting educated is her biggest legacy, I feel that it was her getting up early to pray, and teaching us about God that helped me make the right choices in life. I feel that the things she showed us and taught us about God made it so easy for me to have a relationship with Jesus.




My mother in law is another worthy example. While I have yet to meet her in person, her warmth,  compassion and genuine love breaks all barriers including distance. I loved how she encouraged and prayed for me, along with the rest of the family, when I was back home waiting for my visa grant. One can't ask for a better one and I am blessed . I can't wait to see her and everyone in the family and I look forward to the seafoods feast she promised when we visit.



I think about mentors, friends and family who  provided me with Godly example of motherhood and living life in general. From those who discipled me, believed in me before I even believed in myself, and trusted me. When I stop to think about how much they have helped me become a better person, challenging me to grow and mature in my relationship with Jesus so I can help others the way they have - it makes me thank God for the company of women (and men) that He has placed around me and the awesome privilege of being able to travel with them in this journey called life.

I feel that motherhood can be a really tough gig, especially if one is on their own. But if the saying that it takes a village to raise a child is true, then we are not really meant to raise our children by ourselves to begin with.   Having all our biological families on the other side of the world makes things even harder.But we thank God for our church family - we don't feel alone and we don't feel like we have to figure things out by ourselves or get things together, we are allowed to be ourselves, we can ask for help and it was never taken against us. All the encouragement and prayers we get showered is just amazing. We have also made friends, who have become our families by choice

On a personal note, for mother's day this year, I thought I'd save my husband the trouble of  figuring out what to get me  by telling him exactly what I wanted. I even volunteered to pick it up myself to make sure there are no mix ups. At our little mister's preschool, they organized a mother's day  afternoon tea with a fun activity for mum and kids. I was so pleased when I got there with the little miss to find him finish the sandwiches I made him for lunch for the first time since early this year. As we worked on the mother's day card, he wouldn't let me touch it, except for some help from his sister. While he took the activity seriously, he also got distracted a few times with all the toys and other kids to play with. I feel like after nearly two hours, it was the little miss who had fun the most. She was able to play all she liked without me rushing her like I always do everytime we drop her brother off.

The shifts  life make as we enter into the season of motherhood! As the more seasoned mums will tell you, while changes take place as the children grow older, it never really ends. It is always tempting to focus  them and make them the centre of our universe! But if we are wise, we will look up to a POWER bigger than ourselves, even bigger than our families and friends.

Happy mother's day to you - whether  you are a mother celebrating for the first time,  desperately praying to be a mother, one that have lost their mothers, mothers who have lost a baby (or two) or are assuming the role of mothers in others' lives. Thank you for all the hard work you do. I hope Psalms 121 of The Message version will bless you -

^1-2 I look up to the mountains;
    does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
    who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

^3-4 He won’t let you stumble,
    your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
    Guardian will never doze or sleep.

^5-6 God’s your Guardian,
    right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
    sheltering you from moonstroke.

^7-8 God guards you from every evil,
    he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
    he guards you now, he guards you always.

DiY Birthday Party!

It all started when we all got talked into throwing her a birthday party. Perhaps she remembered when we said we will alternately  have one party for them being born only eleven months apart and they have the same set of friends and this year, it was her turn. Maybe it did not help that we got invited to parties and she saw how fun it was. From the time we said YES, we were asked nearly every day if it was her birthday yet.

Gunnamatta Park
 photo pinched from here

She chose  Gunnamatta in Cronulla after we went for a  day to relax, she decided that she will have her party there.

view opposite the park 

We even made up a song to the tune of five cheeky monkeys and it goes like this:

z wants a party
she gets it on her birthday
she loves it is gunnamatta bay
so she can play, swim and have a barbie

We did not end up having a barbie because we thought it was better to have everything ready by the time we got there, but that is going ahead of myself. Choosing the venue was easy because the birthday girl knew what she wanted and we can't help but agree. With a park and a beach in one place, we didn't have to do anything to entertain the kids. We did have a few other decisions to make -

1. Pick the Date. Autumn this year is a little bit tricky because some days feel like summer, while other days feel like winter. We had to consider people's schedules too but after what we thought was carefully thought and planned date, we still found ourselves in a bit of a bind, what with our chosen date being in conflict with another activity, or some friends going away. However, we had to make a choice. When we decided on the date, the forecast was a high of 20 degrees with expected showers. Our toddlers prayed every night from the time we decided on the date for a change of weather and every few weeks we checked the forecast. And what do you know, on the day itself, it was a high of 27 degrees, not windy and certainly no showers, just perfect for a park-beach sort of weather, thank you, Jesus!

2. Invitation. When the date was sorted, it was too close that we did not have time to make the invitations. We resorted to emails and facebook, and it all worked out fine. I have to say I did try to get all the materials but in the end it was rather late.

3. The Birthday Cake.  The m & m and kitkat cake looked very attractive so I thought I'd give it a go. I have seen a few tutorials on youtube that looked really doable. I made my tried and tested cake recipe base 

my test kitkat cake

from 4 ingredients called the 1,1,1,1 cake and found a delicious and easy to make chocolate frosting recipe  from google to decorate. When we tasted out test cake, it was okay. However I thought it might be too much sugar so I decided to use marshmallows to keep up with the pink motif. Also, I decided to stretch 

>myself and make it a two-tier cake - it impressed my darling husband so much he wanted to marry me again if he could. My timeline -

6 days before the party - made a triple mix to make the two tier cake. let it rest.

5 days before the party - wrapped the cake with cling wrap and freeze

2 days before the party - decorated frozen cake with a double chocolate frosting mix  and marshmallows. let it sit at room temperature til the party

4. Party Menu. We decided on a very simple menu, but it might look  massive only because our friends had different dietary requirements. Maybe I got carried away too but I was very sure that it could be done without drama. In the end I had to drop the vegetarian spring rolls that I had already began cutting and only because I thought it might be too much work having to soften the wrapper with hot water, etc. I also made big plans to make drinks for the kids but in the end had to let it slide. 

Friends brought some yummy fried spring rolls as well as chips and drinks. This nut platter, inspired by a friend who posted a picture on instagram, is a mixture of ding dong from the Philippines made of cracker 

nuts, beans, peanuts, corn and green peas mixed with tropical nuts and m & m was an instant hit with the kids.

5. Party Favour. Being the anti-lollies that I am, (and only because I know that my toddlers will not stop eating til they turn blue) I thought I'd make some cookies. I have seen a friend do it and it looked really beautiful. However I have to admit that my icing skills is very limited that as early as Easter week, I tried and failed at it miserably.  I thought maybe cutting the cookies into beautiful moulds would make it look better but that did not work too. In the end, and at the encouragement of a friend, I opted for the tried and tested crisp coconut cookies in a nice looking cd envelope inspired by this post. I made two double mix of the cookies 

three days before the party and wrapped everything on the cd envelope with the thank you label at two days before.

6. Party Supplies. I cut out some templates for the party hats from here and here for the kids to decorate. I had stickers, foam letters and shapes as well as ribbons for them to use, but alas, it was not very popular as 

the park and the water was beckoning them. For buntings, I had some fibre cleaning materials that looks like felt from a few months back. I picked pink, cut it into bunting flags and pasted it into a string. With pink balloons on the sides, it makes up all  the birthday decorations we had. Our birthday girl choose the pink and purple plates for the little ones with bigger white plates for the adults. The same color goes for the plastic cups and cutlery. We also picked the pink and white plastic table cloth.

On the party day itself, we spent the morning cooking, packing  and taking everything  to the venue. We are blessed to have friends who helped us with a back up table in case we couldn't get one by the time we got there. They also came to pick up some of the things that wouldn't fit in the car. I have to admit we were running late, arriving there at 12:30 PM but thank God for one of our friends who arrived early, because of them we had one big table perfect for the occasion.

At the end of the day, we had one happy three year old. I overheard one mum say it was a highlight to the kids' school holidays. We thanked God for everyone who celebrated our little girl's birthday with us.

We left the place at 6 PM. Needless to say, she slept in the car and slept thru til 6AM the next day. She also had to wait the next morning to open the rest of her presents.

PS. for a very detailed checklist, I found this and this really helpful.