It's 2015 and here's my first post for the new year. A New Year A New Beginning!
I had quit my full time job to become a SAHM (stay at home mum/manager/minister/miser) since Oct 2014, and have been a SAHM for 3 months. So far, I have not regretted my decision and in fact, I'm loving it! During the PSLE marking days, I could teach my son and help him prepare for his year end assessments. He did us proud! He received a Certificate of Achievement for outstanding performance in Mathematics from his school, and we were invited to attend the Prize Giving Ceremony. He also received a Edusave Certificate of Academic Achievement 2014 for being in the top 25% in terms of academic performance in the level and course and good conduct in school. Shortly after all the assessments, it's the school holidays! After all the serious study stuff, it's time to play and enjoy the holidays, which my son and I spent 6 weeks together doing different things. All these would not had been possible if I'm still working.
It's just the start of 2015 and I would say it's a great start for me! I found a part-time home based job. This means that I could stay at home to do my housework, cooking, baking, picking up my children while I can work flexi-hours at the luxury of my home. Although the pay is not a lot for a start, especially compared to what I earned previously as an IT Consultant, but is a good start. It gives me extra money to spend or save, and I'm contented. :)
Did I mention baking? Oh yes! I love to bake... Chinese New Year is coming soon! I'm planning to bake Kueh Lapis (refer to http://jenniferphua.blogspot.sg/2014/01/kueh-lapis-recipe.html for the recipe), Pineapple Tarts with homemade pineapple paste, Cashew Nut Cookies, German Cookies (that I just learnt from a friend), and thinking if I should try to make Kueh Bangkit again after my failed attempt last year.
Hopefully I can bake as much as possible, as time is a constraint since I have a part-time job now with assignments to complete on time, and my schedule is getting packed with birthday parties/celebrations on 17, 18 & 24 Jan. Hopefully, I don't have to bake on 14 & 15 Feb weekend, which is the weekend just before Chinese New Year, as I don't want to bake on V-day and my birthday!!! I want to celebrate and spend time with my family instead on baking. V-day is nothing special since it's a yearly affair but this year's birthday is somewhat a little different as it's one of those Big 0 (四张没得找咯!). What's so special about 四张? It's my first "张没得找" with my children as I don't have any child yet when I was 三张, and it's also mean I'm somewhat entering into "elderly" (enrolled into Elder Shield) stage, haha... It's not that big birthday that I have to celebrate it in a big way; I'm contented to just being able to spend time feasting and merrymaking with my family. :)
