He Used Money To Buy Friends!

Yesterday, Ace came home and pouted... Cos he said he quarrelled with his friends..

I asked him what happened and he said that he quarrelled with J.

Apparently, Ace told A and B that he wanted to walk home with them and J was there too. And J told them.. "Don't lah.. come follow me. I buy ice cream for you.."

And so, Ace was very upset that his friends left with J.

I asked Ace what was he so unhappy about. He said, "How can he use money to buy friends! That's wrong! He thinks just because he has money, he can do anything.. He always like tat.. say want them to follow him.. he will buy them ice cream.. if not ice cream he will buy soft drinks.. if not soft drinks, he will buy them snacks..."

I tried to put it into perspective for Ace and asked him... "If he invited you along, would you have gone with him to eat free ice cream?"

"No!" He snapped. But when I asked him why.. he brushed me off with a "I don't want to talk about this anymore.. I don't like to remember unhappy things.."

Wahahaha... sounds like a mightly weak NO to me:)

And then I explained to Ace that it is possible also that J genuinely wanted to be generous with his friends and share with them and not that he wanted to use money to buy friends.

Also, granted that using money to buy friends is not a correct thing to do... it is a personal choice. It is not something we can FORCE everyone to do. Because it is a personal choice.

Buying things for friends is not wrong... it is the intention behind it that makes it right or wrong. Besides, the world is like that.. whoever has money and can buy things, they will have alot of pple gathering around them... But of course,  this sort of friendship is often not real and not lasting because they will leave you one you have no more money.

I  once had a friend who made a million dollars doing business. He told me that once he had money... many people or so called friends came up to him and be friendly with him so that they can ask for loans or ask for favors... or ask for investments. He lost his million within two years because most of it went out and never came back again and these friends disappeared after he lost his millions.

But I understand how this is difficult for self righteous Ace to understand...

One of the biggest challenge I find in parenting is teaching children the GREY AREA. The other day, I was out with my god daughter and she wanted to share my drink. Her mum did not want her to drink too much cold and sugary drinks and so I told her that if she completed her work (why a 4 year old has holiday homework I also dun understand.. haha), I will share little bit with her. In the end, she did not complete her work and so did not get the drink and she wailed and cried and stomped her feet.. and kept repeating..."You must share! You must share!" Because apparently, that is what her parents always told her.

She could not understand why she had to share and other people did not?

It is a huge challenge to me as a parent to explain the finer details of how something I say does have exceptions and under what conditions these exceptions will take place.

I remembered having a conversation with Ace about using money to buy friendship and I remembered telling him that that is not a right thing to do because friendship is built using one's heart and love. So that is why to him, one SHOULD NOT buy friendship with money.

It is either black.. or white.. There is no grey! ;) I think Ace is starting to understand that there are grey areas in life but given his very self righteous nature, it will take alot more knocks in life before he will really be able to say that he is ok whether things are black, white or grey:) hahaha...

Previous Post: I Got Work Hor!

I Got Work Hor!

The Lions Club of Singapore organized a big scale event to provide charity lunch to 5000 seniors in SIngapore...

Our club gathered a group of volunteers and pledged 52 tables worth of food as well.

As we were unable to help out during the main event, Max says he will go help out with the setting up. Since I was not feeling well, I stayed at home and Max brought Ace along...

WHen they returned home, I asked if Ace did well at the volunteer event..

"Aiyah.. he just walk around only lah.. never do anything.." Max said.

"Oih! I got help out and I got work hor!" Ace interjected indignantly...

I asked Ace wat did he help out with and he said, "I help to give out water!"

Apparently, as the event location did not have aircon when they were setting up, and so it was very warm and Ace, being the youngest helper, was given the task of giving out mineral water to the other volunteers.

Hahahaha.. yeah lah yeah lah.. got work lah got work lah:)

Previous Post: Catching Goldfish

Catching Goldfish

 Max said that when he went to play pool with his friends the other day he noticed that there is a pool for people to catch goldfish and he said he looked quite fun.

We told Ace about it and he insisted MUST go that day...

Alas, we reached that day and it was not opened yet leh... so had to wait like an hour for it to open.. so sian.. we drove around aimlessly trying to find a place for Ace to cut his hair but cannot find... and so leh, we went to have tea at this tea place that gave the birthday boy a free ice kacang!:)

So this thing is called Goldfish Scooping. You are given a paper net and you supposed to scoop the fish. Watever fish you scoop is yours. If net breaks then too bad gotta throw away..

 At first, Max and Ace did not get the hang of it. They put the bowl so far away.. so by time the fish go into their net and reach the bowl, paper already break and fish drop back into the pond lor.. the saw another kid who put the bowl real close and then wised up!:)

And there was another couple also very sart.. they use three nets can catch so many fish.. net break they still can catch wor... LIHAI!:)

 Awww... got to throw the torn net into the pail..

 After we came, Uncle's business became very god lor:) hahaha

 See our bowl so few fish compared to the couple who had less nets!

 Got it!

 Now we know liao..put the bowl close close...

 We had about 20 fishes.. We bought a container for them and even a pump to give them air... Aunty gave us some free food also..

 Ace taking care of the fishes in the car..

 We put them together with Molly... and put them by the TV...

About 2 weeks later, only these guys left...

I realized that the black fishes died out first.. Maybe black goldfishes are not so hardy...

PS: As I typed this out on 14 July... about 2.5 weeks after we brought them home, only 4 goldfishes and Molly are left.. Max says MOLLY IS A SURVIVOR!:) hahahaha...

Previous Post: Lao Kuan Playground

Lao Kuan Playground

We heard that there is some exhibition in a shopping mall that showcases all our old school type of playground...

Since we are in the vicinity, we decided to go take a look...

There was an origami stall and Ace said he wanted to learn how to make a frog...


Not bad, this frog can even jump!:)

Then he saw some people having a go at GASING and he wanted to play too..

After a few rounds, I told him to let other children have a turn lah.

Anyway, the playground is too crowded and perhaps too basic for his age liao lah.. so after a while.. we decided to go..I told Ace though that last time the playground at the void deck of popo house is something like tat lor:) Too bad I dun have photo of it..

Before we left, we took a few pics :)

I must say though that this lao kuan playground really brings back memories:)

Previous Post: Daddy's Into Kendama 2

Daddy's Into Kendama 2

Ace received a "branded Kendama" from his friend and so now his dad and him can have one each and practice together...

But I tell you lah.. Father and son equally haolian one... Just master ONE trick then very yaya papaya already:) haahhahahaha..

Previous Post: Ace's 10th Birthday!

Ace's 10th Birthday!

When I attended a workshop, I was told that 9 years old is the most difficult time of a child's life. However, I noticed that 10 years old is equally difficult... most of my friends, when their kids reach around 10 years old.. they will go into this EMO stage where they will perpetually give a black face and look like the whole world owed them a living... And Max said he got into big trouble in school when he was 10 too... (Pri 4 see Pri 7 bully his friend very buay song and go and beat him up)

Good news is, by 11 years old, they will sort themselves out!:)

Anyway, I am glad he passed through 9 years old peacefully and happily...

About a month before his birthday, Ace was already very excited. He had a long list of presents that he wanted people to buy him... they included lego, kedama, nerf guns and even a butterfly comb... It is like a butterfly knife.. but the blade is replaced with a comb.... He everyday go school tell his friends he is going to invite them to a party... hahahaha...

His 10 years birthday was like carnival that started with his dad saying that he will buy him a present.. the chosen present was a RC drone..

Alas, this RC drone very laoya pok.. always fly a little bit and then battery flat and cannot fly anymore... So we had to go back and refund. The money, we put in a fund and he got to choose to buy a series of things.

 Then he had a birthday treat from his Godma Karen at his favorite Swensons!:)

 He ordered the kids mal cos it came with this flower pot ice cream tat has ice cream, some milo as soil and even a gummy worm:)

Then godma say he can go kiddypalace to choose his present. He chose a nerf gun and afterward.. cos his godsister wanted to watch the PeppaPig video whic was very high, he helped carry her up.. But poor Ace lasted only 10 seconds and had to put her down.. being gor gor is hard work man!:) haahahahaha...

Ace says he chose this nerf gun because it can do THIS...

He thinks this is cool.... As for me, erm.. sorry, I dunno why  tat is cool lah but I respect he things anything you can flick around now like this sort of gun or the butterfly comb is COOL... His mother me is not COOL.. is HOT:) hahahahaha...

Anyway, since the charity run, he has been looking out for a rubberband gun.... He found one in VAT19.com but it will cost way too much to ship it here. I found out that there is a shop in Singapore that actually sells these sort of rubberband gun and so.. the other day, after we picked him up from his JPD meeting, we told him we had to go to buy shoes for Daddy as daddy is going for a run..

In the end, we brought him to that toy shop and he was sooooooooooooooooooooo happy!:)

 Using the refund from the drone, he bought this rubberband gun..

 And a limited edition star wars Tech Deck...

The downside of this is that now my house has alot of loose rubberbands lying around lor... shoot that time very happy but always never take note to pick it up :(

Then leh, he also had a celebration in Popo's house.. Popo bought him a strawberry strudle in place of a birthday cake to celebrate..

And then he celebrated one more time with a party with his friends and our friends...

 Helped him design the invite to send out to his friends:)

 I told him I going to wear this for his party and he says NO.. hahahaah

 Actually bought this for his godsister lah:)

 He managed to invite a few friends and he asked them to bring along nerf guns to play.. in the tennis court..

 Godmpa and godsis bz wrapping corn:)

 And the other kids just run around and play with guns together. Dun ask me how the 4, 5 and 10 year olds play together. I also dunno:) ahahaha

 And it is cake cutting time.. Ace asked for ice cream cake but the cake so hard.. very difficult to cut:)

Was a happy night lah. Ace got a new kendama, a new nerf gun and a new bag from his friends. Godma Annie also joined the party and gave Ace a big red packet:)

And then leh, day after his birthday got more celebration lor:)

As one of his good friends, Jon Jon also celebrating birthday, we had a gathering and even had cake:) Ace had fun playing with the very cute and accomodating C. He enjoyed playing with her cos she followed all his instructions.. her mum later told me she doesnt really listen to anyone;) wahahahah...

Anyway, both Daddy and Ace had a taste of what it MIGHT be like to have another girl in the family:) Cos they had so much fun together!

 And it hasnt even ended!:)

hahahaha...

After that, Daddy brought us to this place to catch fish but as the fish thingy is not opened till 5pm... we hang around and decided to go and have a drink in this place called Ah Dong Teh House... and Ace says they are giving free ice kachang as long as you show your IC or identification card to show tat your birthday is within 3 days...

We thought it will be just a small ice kachang but we were so wrong! It is a mega one where you can decorate your own! Ace says it is EPIC and best ever and started listing everyone's birthday cos he wants to come back again!:) hahahaha..

 Cos they gave us such a big ice kachang.. promote them a little.. hahaha..

 Ace was so excited to see that the kacang is soooooooooooooooo BIG!

 Inside is got liao one lor.. we found so many atap chee too!:)

 Just to give you idea of how big the kacang is.. i pose with my palm..

We also did a video of Ace's masterpiece..



All in all, I think he had a great celebration lah..

Happy birthday Ace!

Seemed like yday when I gave birth to him lor!:)

Happy birthday, Ace! Congrats on passing through one of the most difficult years in your childhood!;) I still can't believe that you are already 10! Despite my complains that you are always making us nag 10000000 x before you do what we ask you to, you have been a wonderful, loving kid! Thank you for all you have done for the family and all the love you have shown to everyone. Thank you for coming into our lives and bringing so much joy... And remember, mummy and daddy will love you forever no matter what:)

Previous Post: Dinner Table Ping Pong