Wheelchair Access

Brought Mikaail to NTUC Supermarket at Civic Centre last Friday to buy the ingredients for the Chinese Style Carrot Cake.  Originally intended to cook it on Saturday for my family gathering but decided not to as there were too many dishes already planned for the day.

Anyway, I also planned to bring Mikaail for a walk at Causeway Point.  It's a short walk from Civic Centre to Causeway Point.  However, to get up to street level to cross to Causeway Point  from Civic Centre on wheelchair you would need to go around 3 long ramps. 

Rather disappointed that after renovations, instead of shortening the ramps, it remained except that there are more steps and inevitably there are couples sitting along the plant beds!  There is already stairs on the left of this picture.

My opinion is that when the architects or building management renovate their premises, they need to consider the needs of the wheelchair users especially when the greying population is on the rise.

Happily waiting for Yaya

This is a picture of Mikaail waiting for his aunt Yaya who went for a short holiday to Tanjong Pinang and Batam last Friday.

And this is the picture when he hears Yaya opens the door.

And the stuff Yaya bought while on holiday!

Swensen's Ice Cream Cake

Mikaail turned 12 last December and we held a small birthday party for him and got him a Swensen's ice cream cake with a picture of a car.  The closest we could get him was a red car though he wanted a blue car. Though he cant see the difference in the colours, we explained to him that there was only red car in the ice cream cake catalogue.

This was the 2nd time we bought an ice cream cake from Swensens and had it delivered.  The difference this time was we did not store the cake in the freezer as we were told that the cake will last 6 hours without refrigeration.  They should have said to lightly heat up the cake!  It was really tough to cut the cake - like using a knife to cut ice.

Family official cake cutter - Jaye - having ago at cutting the ice cream cake with a cake knife then a chopper!   Then my brother in law, Andy, had a go at cutting the cake as well.

The cake was really yummy and though everyone had a generous piece, we still had leftovers!  If ever I order a cake from Swensen's, I will have to remember to ask them how to actually cut the cake as it really is almost impossible to cut the ice cream cake nicely.

Curved Spine (Scoliosis)

It's been months and we have yet to get a firm date for Mikaail's operation!  I've contacted NUH on a couple of occasions and still no fixed date.  Really frustrating!!  According to the nurse, the doctor said he is tied up with emergencies and not able to provide a date yet!  All I wanted to know was to get a date so we can at least be prepared.

Looking at him when he sits or passes motion, seems like quite tough for him.  He dont seem that he is seated on his bump more like sitting on his hips!  His rib cage is also protruding.  He may not be uncomfortable at the moment but it may become so sometime.

A colleague of mine said that her sister had this done in her teenage years.  She is now happily married and no one would be able to know this without her saying so.  Its not that scoliosis is a contagious disease or anything of sort. 

In Mikaail's case, it was brought about by stroke and as this is structural, there really is nothing that a chiropractor could do to correct this.  Though I would have hope that this can be done.

Valentine's Day

Mikaail is making heart shape cards for valentine's day for mama, dada, yaya and himself.  He said he has us in his heart including himself.  I thought it was good for him to also love himself on top of loving us all.  If you can love yourself first then only will you be able to understand love and be able to love others.

His class teacher will be guiding the class to create Valentine's Day gifts for their loved ones and Mikaail said he wanted to give us hearts.  Considering that he has no vision and totally reliable on others, I am really happy that he knows that heart relates to some happy emotion.

This is the card that Mikaail's teacher had helped him create for Valentine's Day - wordings are all his.