Need to Exercise!

I went back to my good friend and gynaecologist Dr Adrian Tan at Thomson Medical Centre for a check up on Monday. The wounds from the laparoscopy have healed really well.

However I think I am starting to feel the effects of menopause:-

• at bedtime, I shiver and have to cover up in the airconditioned room but in the middle of the night I kick off all the covers because I feel uncomfortably warm;
• been waking up at 4.30 am and struggle to get back to sleep;
• my joints seem stiffer - I love to sit on the floor, but it now takes more effort to get up and then a few moments to overcome the stiffness...

H/w it's not as bad as people have told me it could be. I've to do some reading about this and then learn to adjust and make the best of it. The silver lining: Adrian says these are temporary.

I'm not the exercising type but am making an effort out of necessity. Reuben's been urging me to exercise more. My sister-in-law sent me an article some weeks ago entitled Doctors tell cancer patients: hit the gym. We had an orthopaedic surgeon friend over for dinner Thursday night who told me that exercise was essential for post-menopausal women to keep osteoporosis at bay.

So...I am getting the hint. I am trying to be disciplined, diligent and good. This week I walked 20 mins each on Mon, Wed and Friday morning. Late on Wed evening Janice and I walked 3km+ (9 holes on the golf course) accompanying Reuben and Jonathan as they played golf. I carried my golf bag and clubs but did not play.

I was rather reluctant to go when Reuben asked me but at the end of it, I was glad I went. Keppel Club golf course is mature with lots of tall trees which shelter birds like the blue kingfisher. Some holes are very pretty with landscaping featuring streams, colourful shrubs, and flowering plants. So the experience is like walking in the botanic gardens, except for the punishing pace and the undulating terrain. I managed to take a few of photos of Janice at the 15th hole.




At the end of it, I was, like the standard ending of school children's composition ending, "tired but happy"! It was an accomplishment for a sedentary person like me! Maybe after a few more rounds like this, I will start to swing the clubs.

Psalm 103:22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Scrapbook for Dad

We usually have a hard time getting Reuben a suitable gift for his birthday...

This year Alisha set about making a scrapbook for Reuben, filled with photos of herself and her siblings. She had wanted my help but in the end because I was too busy she did it all herself, with some help from Janice.

I am really proud of Alisha, firstly for her thoughtfulness, secondly for fore-planning since this was not a piece of work that could be done overnight. Also for her creativity since this was made from scratch (i.e. not a store-bought scrap-booking kit).

My kids are growing up so fast!

Psalm 127:3-5
Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Gingerbread House

One of the activities I love to do with my kids is baking and of late, cake & cookie decorating. On one of our outings to IKEA during the school holidays, we chanced upon a gingerbread house kit sold at the Swedish food market. The gingerbread comes baked in pieces shaped like parts of a house and all we had to do was assemble it.

On Christmas eve afternoon, I made some royal icing and left it to Alisha and Janice to assemble the house. They did a pretty good job. On Christmas day itself, just before our lunch guests arrived, the girls set to work decorating it together with their cousins Natasha (5), Felicia (4) and Lucas (3). Too bad we did not manage to capture the process on camera.

I think they did a really great job with no adult assistance or intervention. The little ducks and accessories are things I'd saved from numerous store-bought birthday cakes, Christmas logs etc. Next year we might even bake the gingerbread ourselves!

The finished product and the aftermath...