Bodyguard

Not much of a bodyguard if he's sleeping on the job though. I always said and still firmly believe that Pixel is a dog in a cat's body. How else can I explain his affinity and utmost patience with Sophie a.k.a. the little monster?

This whole week she's grabbed fistfuls of his fur and yanked on them, pulled his ear, kicked him (although I think she could be thinking she's stroking him with her foot, the way I do), stepped on him in her bid to climb onto the couch, smacked him with his brush (again, maybe she thinks she's combing him?), grabbed at his belly...and the assault list goes on and on. She has, in a nutshell, literally pushed him around within an inch of every one of his nine lives. And yet, there he is, still offering himself up for more abuse everyday, not complaining one bit nor sticking out a paw to swipe at her nor clawing her. Not yet anyway. Sure, he puts on this really annoyed face when she yanks a bit too hard but the most he will do is slink away.

The Furry Siblings

Trying to escape from Sophia's grubby, painful clutches. There's no hope for the damned.

Mom, Spend Some Time With Me?

Poor dear. She had to contend with playing on her own for most of the day as I had too many rewrites to do. That's what happens when you take on a writing job: the writing ceases to be your own. Well, in this case anyway. It sort of sprouted a really ugly pair of wings and threatened to drag me off the cliff.

So my poor little angel/rascal/monster had no choice but to keep herself amused. She did pretty good actually. She harassed the cat, pushed all the dining chairs, save for the one my butt was plonked on, to all four corners of the walls, watched TV, and came over to bit me on the knees and thighs when she needed attention.

It got to the point where she would look distressed and cry for me the moment she saw me sit down at my laptop at the dining table. Sigh...

Only a few more days of this and hopefully after, I'll be free to cater to her every whim.

You Try Looking As Adorable With a Plate Stuck To Your Face

As if her nose wasn't alreayd flat enough, she decides to make the rest of her jutting out bits just as flat. She snatched my plate up from the mat, crumbs be damned, and proceeded to show me just how much flatter her nose could go, taking her lips along too.

Little Artist

...Not. Sad to say, it's only her mother's definition of a joke. What's actually on her head is her pants. But it does look adorable... .

Bali Water Baby

When: 6-9 June
Where: Diana Villa, Kuta


Day 1 : Introduction to a body of water larger than her tub.
Second time ever in a pool. Obviously, positively LOVING it.


Day 2: Transfered to main pool from our private pool.
Perfect place to make some splashes and have fun in the sun.


Day 2: Daddy and his girl loving the water.


Day 4: Last dip in the pool on the day we depart. Note the
swimsuit, specially purchased in Bali by yee-yee.


DAy 4: Hi, Uncle Chin Lai, what's that in your mouth?


Day 4: I'm swimming, I'm swimming!!


Day 4: I think I see daddy coming my way...


Day 4: Making waves.

Where's mommy in all of this? Taking the pictures, of course!

This Little Piggy

Her default expression these days. The little piggy is deciding to live up to her animal sign. Most days there's the sound effect to boot. I haven't the experience to know what a pig rooting around for truffles sounds like but I'm thinking that her version of snuffling almost equals that of the real thing.

The Girl In White

Even with the muted effect of the polaroid, you can still clearly see that one small eye. Oh well....

This was taken several weeks back, a month almost and is one of my favourites. I'd just gotten my 680SLR then and was having a field day, trying to limit myself to just one polaroid a day. For the most part, I succeeded.

The girl has a thing for cameras; the moment I pick up the 680 or the D80, she'll make a beeline for either. With the D80, she'll fiddle with the lens cap and try to put it back onto the lens, a few times she succeeded. She even knows how to get her fingers around the cap mechanism and fit it back onto the lens with a teeny little bit of help. One day I found her on the floor with the D80, cap off, trying to fit the cap back on with a little too much gusto. I just about had heart palpitations. Thank goodness we'd gotten the Hoya filter to fit onto the lens proper.

In the meantime, am looking forward to a weekend away in Bali. Other than being away on holiday, the best part of the trip is we get to have fun with the rest of the Ng family too. I don't think we've EVER gone away on a family holiday before. The last time I remember when we were actually on a family holiday was in Langkawi waaaay back when and that doesn't count because sis was only a tot just a little older than Sophia and the reason I remember it is because we have pictures of her naked on the beach (no one will ever find them as she's snitched these off the photo album and taken them into her safekeeping).

Nope, no other family holidays when we turned into teenagers and then blossomed into full grown adults. Damn, I have never taken a proper family holiday with my parents and sis before! Let's hope we don't get on each others' nerves too much. But then again, there's always the grandchild to deflect any family tensions/crises.

Oh, and there's always the private pool at the villa that we'll be staying in.

Books, books, books!

Her other favourite book: the farm book. It's a board book and is colourful, to boot. Some of the animals stick out of the page and are great handholds. One particular lamb's head is so worn from being pulled and held when Sophie tries to turn the pages that it's threatening to drop off any day now.

At least this one's a board book. Her Slinky Malinki is a regular paperback and that one looks like kiam chye already. I may have to get her another copy if she keeps up with her (mis)handling of her books.

Bib And A Smile

Before I confined her to her high chair for meals, she used to play with her toys and was generally free to move around. That was too much running around after her and to cultivate the habit of sitting in one spot to eat and to instill some discipline in her, she's now relegated to her high chair for mealtimes, sans TV.

Entertainment is by way of her wooden bead toy, her favourite photo album or her favourite story book right now: Slinky Malinki.

I'm Not Hungry

Lunchtime at The Coffee Connoisseur at Bugis Junction. She had a very short nap on the way out and on the MRT. By the time we got to TCC, she was awake.

I'd made couscous today (tastes damn good too, if I may say so) but the little one wasn't having any of it (or much of it anyway). Meltdown started after a few mouthfuls and I'm not sure if she was being distracted by her surroundings (the couch was waaay comfy) or if she was still tired.

In any case, I'm trying again tonight.

Little Red Riding Hood

The little one looking angelic before meltdown last weekend. She was good enough to finish all of her tuna and spinach pasta save for two spoonfuls.

Mom and dad ordered mains at Thai Express in turns; the idea was to draw out tea/dinner for as long as possible so that we could feed the little red riding hood.

She Smiles With Her Eyes

"She smiles with her eyes," a very nice mom said to me when she waved to Sophia and she smiled back with her pacifier in her mouth.

It just about made my day. That, and the fact that Sophie got to 'play' with the nice lady's 7-month old daughter at the diaper change station, rather the naughty rascal played with her very colourful backpack and attempted to engage the 7-month old in an embrace.

At least she attempted to make nice and not be a bully like her mom was.

Literally Foaming At The Mouth

Blur in the bath. Can you spot the foam beard the naughty one picked up trying to drink her bath water?

Superwoman

"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path." -- Agatha Christie

Belated Mother's Day (Also In Preparation For Father's Day)

So that's how I found father and daughter on Mother's Day morning. The scenario is actually quite common whenever Dad puts Sophia to bed; he puts himself to bed too.

(Insert collective sigh from mothers all over the world and fervent nodding of heads.)