Tuesday, November 11, 2008 ;
10:30 AM
20 SepSat9.30-11.30amSof's bday partyIt was held in town, and if not for N's kind offer to chauffeur us there, I would be dragging both kids to hail a cab early in the morning.
There is a Paris Baguette near e-mart where I shop, but her party is held at the one next to Isetan. You can see ds2 mesmerised by the bakery's signage in the pic below.
The kids were divided into 2 groups. One batch had their cake decorating session held first, and ds1 was in the 2nd batch. So we were told to order whatever we wanted from the cafe. It was all on the house (I mean, on Sof's parents' account).
Most of the kids went wild. Fortunately I am Z's friend, so I controlled the kids in their choices, otherwise the kids will pile the tray high with all the expensive cookies, donuts and French pastries. And I made them share their Welch's juice with me, otherwise, they had initially wanted to pick 3 bottles each, in various flavors. Some of the other moms enjoyed a nice coffee, pity I am not a coffee drinker.
After eating, we went to have a look at what the other kids were doing. Looked like lots of fun!
The bday girl is right in the center with her daddy from the land of Ikea.
ds1 and ds2 ran around while I was not looking and they bumped into each other, causing a bump on ds2's head and 2 looser upper incisors for ds1 and a huge gash in the lip where the teeth met the lips during the accident.
So you see ds1 in the pic below, holding an ice pack that Aunty N gave him, to his upper mouth. His teeth looked scary, full of blood, and so shaky. The moms asked if I need to bring him to the dentists in the same shopping complex. I thought for a while, and after a consultation with ds1, decided probably not.
Reason 1: What would the dentist do if I brought ds1 there? Same thing as I did, check his teeth, clean up the wound. Would he do an X-ray? I doubt it, it involved only his incisors. If they were to really drop off, it's ok, his milk teeth are due to fall off anyway. He'll maybe give me some advice on how to keep the wound clean and apply something antiseptic or a painkiller, and that'll come to reason 2.
Reason 2: The dentist here is right in the city center of Tianjin. I have never been there, but it is not difficult to guess how much it would cost. Just think of a dentist in Paragon or Mount E hospital back home. If my kid has a life-threatening emergency, yes, I wouldn't consider the cost.
Reason 3: ds1 did not want to leave the bakery. He is so eager to decorate the cake, he feels it may be his turn anytime and he doesn't want to miss having his chance.
So ok, hold onto the ice pack to reduce swelling, and I dab his wound once in a while to get rid of the excess blood.
When his turn came, he forgot all about it. ds2 was getting a little tired and restless by then, so I was busy with ds2 and didn't have the chance to stand beside ds1 and help him, like all the other moms did. Pity, cos I love this kind of activity.
However, I guess he is much happier without me stealing his limelight. Whenever I get the chance to look at what he is doing, he seems to be using all his energy and determination and concentration.
Pics not in order of sequence:
him creaming the layered cake. His is of course the messiest cake cos he went wild with the cream. :-)
Him smearing buttercream on the 1st layer of the choc cake. You can see the other layers prepared by the bakery at the side.
And him putting the first dollop of cream on the cake. The chef was teaching him how to spread it evenly and to turn the revolving cake stand at the same time.
After the cake is done, he decorated the top with fruits and chocolate pieces. Ds2 helped a bit at that juncture.
Then it was game time. Actually it was killing 2 birds with one stone. Z used this "fishing game" to distribute the goody bags.
The kids lined up and each had a turn to cast the fishing hook over the board. Behind the board, Z's hubby hooked it up to a goody bag and let the child hoist it over. Usually the child is ecstatic at having "caught something". Fun and exciting.
That's ds1 below having his turn. The lady in pink helping him is Z.
Z and her hubby cooperating well in this game.
Then it was cake time. Everyone sang an English Happy Birthday song first then a Mandarin one, and then Sof's dad and Nanna's mom (Danish) sang another Birthday song for her. The rest of us didn't know what it meant. I am pretty sure Sof's dad, who is Swedish, does not speak the same language as Nanna's mom, so I am not sure what language the last bday song is in. It is not in the same tune as the English one also. Probably something Europeans know. Like my Indon helper years ago, taught me and ds the Indonesian bday song. I heard a Cantonese one before also, all different melodies. Interesting.
Back home, we enjoyed the cake ds1 decorated. We managed to use it as dessert when we hosted Dh's boss at home when he stayed over at our place later on, after he and Dh came back on the business trip.
Despite the name, the bakery is Korean owned, and is well known in Korea, here and in some parts of USA (eg LA) where it has many stores. Dh's boss, who has lived in Paris for a few years to learn bowmaking, said it was good quality cake, and does not fail its name.
After the party, N wanted to treat me, Z's family and T, with her son Gab to this Thai-Spore restaurant in Isetan for lunch.
She wanted it to be kids-free though, so she suggested having all the kids go back to her house with her ayi and chauffeur. ds1 agreed cos he got to play with Matt and his toys, while having a kid-friend meal in his house. ds2, on the other hand, wanted to stick with me, or rather, I wanted him with me. Sof and Gab also wanted to be with their moms.
So Matt, ds1 and another boy went off. It felt weird for me at first, to have one child less. But I quickly got used to it as Sof, Gab and ds2 played together at a corner of the VIP room in the restaurant while the rest of us enjoyed yummy Sporean and Thai cuisine, like Hainanese Chicken rice, Thai desserts, green curry, and other dishes that N picked out. Too bad Isetan is far off, and it costs much more than what the food would cost in Spore, so we will probably go there to eat again, but it won't be very frequently.
N even bought some lovely Movenpick icecream for each kid after the meal.
After the meal, N got her chauffeur to send us moms home to her house while she went back to her office for a meeting. Ahh, such a busy mom-cum-CEO. I take my hat off.
For me, I just went home, very full and satisfied. Ds2 fell asleep in the car, and when I reached Matt's house to get ds1, he too had a nap at our own home, and I enjoyed a lazy afternoon.
rainbows every day, do not worry for the morrow
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The kids were divided into 2 groups. One batch had their cake decorating session held first, and ds1 was in the 2nd batch. So we were told to order whatever we wanted from the cafe. It was all on the house (I mean, on Sof's parents' account).
ds1 and ds2 ran around while I was not looking and they bumped into each other, causing a bump on ds2's head and 2 looser upper incisors for ds1 and a huge gash in the lip where the teeth met the lips during the accident.
When his turn came, he forgot all about it. ds2 was getting a little tired and restless by then, so I was busy with ds2 and didn't have the chance to stand beside ds1 and help him, like all the other moms did. Pity, cos I love this kind of activity.
Him smearing buttercream on the 1st layer of the choc cake. You can see the other layers prepared by the bakery at the side.
And him putting the first dollop of cream on the cake. The chef was teaching him how to spread it evenly and to turn the revolving cake stand at the same time.
After the cake is done, he decorated the top with fruits and chocolate pieces. Ds2 helped a bit at that juncture.
Then it was game time. Actually it was killing 2 birds with one stone. Z used this "fishing game" to distribute the goody bags.
Z and her hubby cooperating well in this game.
Then it was cake time. Everyone sang an English Happy Birthday song first then a Mandarin one, and then Sof's dad and Nanna's mom (Danish) sang another Birthday song for her. The rest of us didn't know what it meant. I am pretty sure Sof's dad, who is Swedish, does not speak the same language as Nanna's mom, so I am not sure what language the last bday song is in. It is not in the same tune as the English one also. Probably something Europeans know. Like my Indon helper years ago, taught me and ds the Indonesian bday song. I heard a Cantonese one before also, all different melodies. Interesting.
Back home, we enjoyed the cake ds1 decorated. We managed to use it as dessert when we hosted Dh's boss at home when he stayed over at our place later on, after he and Dh came back on the business trip.
