Little girl/Dot turns SIX.

It is also Lammas.

The wheel of the year turns.

Are you ready for change?

I coughed and hacked my lungs out throughout work today, with the distinct feeling that my chest was tight. Prior to this, I had been fighting an infection which apparently has dug right in and camped in my body like a doughty cranky warrior. Dot also came down with a similar infection, though I think hers originated from the petri dish that is her school. Hers was fever that oscillated from high to low. So the doc gave her strong antibiotics and she is back to her bouncing bushy-eyed self.

My first thought was that I got bronchitis, which I tend to get, when it comes to respiratory problems. But no - doc checked. It's just the infection making its way down my airway, plus that the slight hazy conditions in Singapore don't help, plus my sensitivity.

So, that's my update. I am down with the ick. My brains are still moving, apparently - it's only my airways that are going belly-up.

Interview later today. Monday was an sub-editing test at a local TV station. Things seem to be looking up. Fingers and claws crossed. I don't want to jinx.

Meow is adapting to his new increased med dosage and new diet. My boy cat is now old. I give him scritches and he meows just like a kitten, nudging my hand and rubbing it.

My girls are growing fast. Cub is now a tween, Dot a terrible three. ;)

And I have placed a WIP on Wattpad. Another publishing platform. The writers there are mostly teens.

Second day of the new year. Feeling physically unwell (coughing and menstrual problems). Still adjusting to the fact that I might not work this year.

Still writing.

Still watching my girls grow up, though these days, I dread their fights. :(

Real life, at the moment, is brutal. Dot is down with a viral infection. Her fever dingdongs from high to low. So she is cranky, unhappy and clingy. When the medications work, she is back to her usual cheerful self. But when the fever returns, she is lethargic and refuses to play.

I managed to write my synopsis for book two of the Jan Xu series: Obsidian Moon, Obsidian Eye is in the works. Now I am sleepy, sniffly and wishing that I have a cosy bed to sleep in. LOL.

I have made some updates on A Wolf's Tale. I should blog more, especially when it comes to my books. Likewise, if you like my books, do help me signal boost, tell people about them!

And I have started gardening again. ;)

Happy Ostara/Spring Equinox!

I spent the better part of yesterday's morning, exploring Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve. Brought along my camera. The girls loved it! Dot was so amazed by the huge monitor lizards ambling around and sunbathing. My photography skills are rusty... but I had fun. One thing about having a passion is about having fun.

And we had the supermoon! Brighter, definitely "bigger" - but it was all a beautiful illusion. I didn't get to take photographs of it though. But I admired it from afar.

I am not sure about you, but yes, I am heartened by trees. Especially by my favorite trees found at Sungei Buloh. Beside the casuarina, I also love the sea almond tree. I had a vision of wolves, of Singaporean wolves, trotting along the sunlit tropical forest path. Not your typical timberwolves, mind you. I felt the swish of tail and the swivel of ear. Even Cub saw that I was happier.

School starts again tomorrow. I have a backlog of marking to finish. EEP!

Bronchitis strikes again! I am sipping hot honey to soothe my throat which feels like Meow's claws: sharp and clingy.

Actual lessons start next week, so tomorrow will be lesson planning!

Taking it easy with writing. I have a few on-going projects and I feel as if I am spread thin. So... yes, I am taking it easy.

The family is dealing with the flu - the girls are still active (!!!) and chatty (!!!). Dot is now an extremely lively girl. Cub is now in Primary Two. Heh. I am coping with changes once more.

Fifth day of the Chinese New Year. Most of us - well, in Singapore - have gone back to work. And boy, Monday came back with a vengeance. Awful traffic jams caused by accidents. I saw a pair of sport shoes, strewn apart from each other, while a fallen motorbike lay desolate on the road. Took almost 30 minutes to clear one stretch of the expressway. By then I was already late for work.

Work is interesting. I feel...creative.

Dot has fever, but it doesn't seem to hinder her. I suspect a growth spurt.

And SPORE-CON 2011 is in the works. I have TO duties!

Now to be motivated like this for the rest of the year!

Dot head-butted me on the nose. I thought it was broken (because we all heard the loud 'crunch' and I ended up sobbing out of sheer shock and pain). But it turned out to be just a bruising.

Sore neck and arm was/is the product of pinched nerves and a symptom of degeneration. Doc recommended physio to get the neck nerves going again.

He also gave me a day of medical leave. I might just take a half day off work. Oh bloody hell, I need a rest.

I went to see the ENT specialist yesterday. The ENT center happens to be situated together with the children's clinics. So the waiting room was full of running, cranky and sick kids. I waited for a hour and more, before seeing the doctor.

Had the hearing test done, my ears probed and so forth... nothing. I am apparently okay. The vertigo isn't life-threatening. But it will be worse in times of stress. So eep. My current job will get stressful in the near future. :P

Now, a moment of respite. I have the house to myself. The girls are staying with my inlaws (for a night). D is out. The house is oddly quiet. I will probably go and catch up on my sleep.