Faith

Dearest Phoebe,

when you were a toddler, our weekends were really packed with fun and lots of activities.

You were attending enrichment classes on Saturdays and Sundays; however, we could tell that you were having a lot of fun doing so; hence our initial fears of you not being able to cope were unfounded.

Actually, I guess it was as tiring for you as well as Mummy who accompanied you to both classes. Somehow, Mummy managed to dig deep into her reserves to get through your classes as well as carrying you in her arms while you were napping.

Back in those days, you would often take naps in Mummy's arms while we are out and about.
Hence, I guess as young as you were, you have a lot of faith in us. For starters, you had faith in Mummy's arms to carry you while you rested! On a larger picture, you have faith in us as your parents.

Living life can be akin to existing in a body of water. Most people tread water for fear of drowning, the stronger ones actually swim while the faithful few just lean back and float. Who are those faithful few?

I believe that they are people who have a strong sense of faith, in their ways of life and beliefs. They have stopped struggling and put their faiths in the water. Phoebe, never let your faith in our family falter even in times of trials and tribulations. There may be times when it is testing but with renewed faith, you will float lighter and perhaps even swim!

Be good and smile pretty,
Daddy Dearest

脚本

Dearest Phoebe,

besides writing for your blog, I get immense pleasure from reading the blogs of your friends like Ashley, Zavier and Nicole & her brothers.

They contain heart warming entries that chronicle your friends' development. Intimate aspects of their family lives brought alive online. As a fellow parent and blogger, it gives me great joy to feel that unspoken sense of camaraderie shared by parents alike.

We all want the best for our little ones. As a little pre-Valentine's dedication to my dearest Serene, you, my precious little one, and all the parents and their little ones, may our children's vulnerabilities open our hearts so that they can find our unrelenting love and we can find compassion.
Happy Valentines!

Be good, be loved and smile pretty,
Daddy Dearest

Pitter-Patter of Little Feet

Dearest Phoebe,

the first time I came across this phrase was when I was a thirteen year old. I vividly remembered my Literature teacher reading it aloud during class. It never really occurred what it meant but it got of stuck in my subconscious memory for eons and for reasons far beyond my comprehension.

Nowadays, as you grow more steadfast on your feet, Mummy and I tend to hear a lot of your 'pitter-patter' of your feet as you make your way about our humble adobe. At times, these sounds would betray your presence as you went about your play activities but sometimes, they would sound angry as you ran about throwing your almost unbearable tantrums. In the near future, this 'pitter-patter' would fade into memory again as you grow older.

It would probably be replaced by sounds of your ringing cell phone, instant messaging alerts from your computing device or even the shrilly ring of our telephone as your friends attempt to contact you. Its absence is a reminder of how you have grown.

I would probably just hear its familiar echoes in my heart only.

PS: We had lunch last weekend with Auntie Sereen, Uncle Chee Leong and baby Jonas. It was an enjoyable meal at Fishermen's Wharf. You really enjoyed the company of Jonas and even offered your candy to him. Be good and smile pretty, Daddy Dearest

Hear me sing

Dearest Phoebe, Mummy is beginning to sound like a broken record. But I can count the number of times you exclaimed "I am so happy!" when you were in Perth. At that moment, mummy just felt really rewarded. Here's a song you sang while in the apartment chilling out. p/s: Mummy has checked with the 'experts' by looks like the video can't be rotated to 'portrait'. So tilt your head and enjoy..



PS: Dearest Phoebe, Mummy forgot to consult one more 'expert' on the abovementioned matter.
I have taken the liberty to rotate the video on Mummy's behalf. I guess no one would give an arm or a leg to heard you sing, but nobody should be asked to tilt their heads rite?

Be good and smile pretty,
Daddy Dearest

WA - Perth (Jan 2009) Part II

Dearest Phoebe,

Till now, Daddy and I still could not get over the fact that our much-awaited holiday in Perth has ended. For now, we would just mull over these lovely photos of you till the next holiday comes...

Out on the Weekend

Dearest Phoebe,

I remember reading a blog entry by Mummy and it had this confessionary tone by which she stated she's a bad ambassador for motherhood. Don't get her wrong or in case you misunderstood what she wrote, she's probably wore out from work and all.

Mummy and I converse daily and most of the time, we would be talking about you. You should see how Mummy gets all perked whenever the weekend's approaching. The eve of this year's Lunar New Year falls on a Sunday and she was all excited about having our own "private" reunion meal! It's not the weekend that perks her up, but the fact that she can put aside her weekday commitments to spend time with you that becomes her catalyst for life.

If you think life's hard, wait till you try living it! We all need that spark or push to keep us going once in a while. As for me, I tend to take things as they come. And if there came a day or night when I felt I needed a little nudge - a simple reminder to keep pursuing my dreams and not to dwell on life’s minor setbacks, I know I can always count on Mummy to tell me things are OK, over and over again. It's that simple and comforting.

PS: If you ever needed that nudge in the form of an accompanying song to put a smile on your face, my suggestion is Neil Young's "Out On The Weekend". It’s an archaic but relevant (1971) country folk rock song that is about moving forward! Oh ya, it helps if you belt it out at the top of your lungs, hee....

Be good and smile pretty,

Daddy Dearest

WA - Perth (Jan 2009)

Dearest Phoebe,

Just last week, we spent a couple of days in the beautiful city of Perth, in Western Australia. We stayed in the heart of the CBD and we got around via public transport. This was our first overseas holiday as a family and it was planned by both Mummy and Daddy.

We went to many places of interests and probably every one of them was your favourite! If I were to pick one from the heap, I guess I would go with Caversham Wildlife Park, hands down! You were having a ball feeding the free ranging kangaroos in the park! You jumped with joy after one of the kangaroos gobbled up all the food pellets from your palm.

From marsupials to sea creatures, you were also fascinated by the jellyfishes we saw at AQWA. The highlight of AQWA was the walk-through aquarium that is the largest in Australia. The close encounters with the marine life were simply breath taking!

Our evenings were spent shopping for groceries and preparing for dinner. Mummy whipped up sumptuous dinners of pan-fried pasta with vegetables, grilled pizza bread, boiled sausages and oven baked meat pies! Yum, my appetite's whetted just writing about it!

Fun aside; I would like to thank Mummy for planning for the trip. Hats off to you for behaving yourself whilst in transit and on the ground! I still remember how worried Mummy was about you during our flight to Perth from Singapore. You felt discomfort during the flight due to the pressurised cabin but you just seek comfort in Mummy's arms, just like a baby koala!

The flight back was less worrisome but you were busy visiting the loo to relieve yourself as you drank a lot of water during the flight. When we landed in Singapore, it was already past ten. You fell into a deep sleep during the cab ride back home. You were probably still dreaming of kangaroos, koalas and Kings Park!

Be good and smile pretty,
Daddy Dearest