10 Ridiculously Easy But Yummy Breakfast Recipes In 10 Minutes

Image from Inmagine

Ever had one of those days where you just lay in bed for a good hour or two after waking up and you contemplate whether you should just stay there the whole day and skip the whole tedious part of changing out of your pyjamas and actually brushing your hair? Yeah, me too. But of course, chores need to get done, diapers need to be changed, and tummies need to be fed (be it your little one's, or your own). So you whimper as you slowly roll onto the floor and crawl to the bathroom and stand in the shower and sob for a few more minutes and after getting dressed, you go to the kitchen and wonder what the hell you're supposed to cook for your child without reaching for the sugar-coated multicoloured cereal yet again. Nor do you want to hand them a piece of dry toast and call it a day. So here is a tried & tested list of 10 tasty but healthy breakfast ideas you can try out for those days that you just seriously cannot function. They are easy, I promise, and will take less than 10 minutes to prepare, but are completely guilt-free because they are actually nutritious and delicious!

1. MINI BANANA PANCAKES

Image from Inmagine

This is Gemini Grrl's favourite recipe to make all by herself (under my watchful eye of course) and she eagerly eats it all up once it's fresh out of the oven. 
So if my 2 year old can cook this, so can you ;)

INGREDIENTS:

1 Over-ripe Banana
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Butter


WHAT TO DO:

a) Slice up the banana into a bowl.

b) Crack in the egg and mash it all up with a fork.

c) Add the vanilla and mix well.

d) Butter up a muffin pan and spoon in the mixture.

e) Bake in the oven for a few minutes until golden brown.

f) Serve with honey, butter or peanut butter.

SERVES: 1 Momma & 1 Tot OR 2 Tots



2. QUICK-BAKED AVOCADO

Image from Inmagine

I LOVE avocados so much. Not only are they chockful of nutrition, but they taste heavenly and can be a wonderful alternative to cheese for those with dairy restrictions, are vegan, or just watching their diets. I may just write up a whole new blog post on it's own dedicated to my favourite avocado recipes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Ripe Avocado
1 Egg
Pinch of Sea Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper


WHAT TO DO:

a) Slice the avocado in half and remove the pit.

b) Beat the egg and carefully pour it into the little pit-groove in the avocado halves.

c) Sprinkle the sea salt and black pepper over the egg.

d) Bake it in the oven until your desired consistency, or until the egg cooks.

e) Eat with a spoon and enjoy the goodness.

SERVES: 1 Momma & 1 Tot

3. PEANUT BUTTER & BANANA SANDWICH

Image from Inmagine

Bananas are so digestible and are a healthy way to start your day. So if you're looking for a fun way to jazz up the way you eat this delicious fruit, why don't you try out one of my favourite toast toppings?

INGREDIENTS:

1 Ripe Banana
4 Pieces of Wholemeal/ Multigrain Bread OR 2 Pieces of Toast (for an open-face sandwich)

Peanut Butter (Chunky for even more nutrition, but I personally prefer Smooth)
Honey (optional)


WHAT TO DO:

a) Slice up your banana.

b) Spread peanut butter onto your bread or toast.

c) Arrange the banana slices onto your bread or toast.

d) Drizzle with a bit of honey, if you prefer (but the sweetness of the bananas should be enough).

e) Fantastic with a glass of milk.

SERVES: 1 Momma or 2 Tots

4. GREEK YOGHURT FRUIT SALAD

Image from Inmagine

Greek yoghurt is another staple in my house and we love it so much! It's actually healthier than regular yoghurt and you can use it in a lot of different recipes. It's better to get the plain kind and add in any extra toppings yourself to your liking. I always add some honey for a touch of sweetness (because Greek yoghurt is rather tart) and chia seeds for the extra nutrients, as it is a superfood :D

INGREDIENTS:

2 Single Serving Pots of Greek Yoghurt

Any Mixed Fruits & Berries
1 - 2 tsp of Honey
1 tsp of Chia Seeds

WHAT TO DO:

a) Cut up the mixed fruit or berries to bite size pieces.

b) Add in the chia seeds into the yoghurt.

c) Add in the honey into the yoghurt and mix well.

d) Top with the mixed fruits & berries.

e) Serve chilled and pretend you're having ice cream early in the morning :P

SERVES: 1 Momma & 1 Tot

5. PEANUT BUTTER APPLE SLICES

Image from Inmagine

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away", apparently. I guess what they mean is that it's good to eat some fruit everyday as part of a healthy and balanced diet. This is also a good snack for any other time of day, plus it's super fast to make. I like to add the granola on top for the extra flavour, fibre and crunch.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Red or Green Apple
Peanut Butter
Granola

WHAT TO DO:

a) Slice up your apple. The more PB you want, the thinner the slices.

b) Spread peanut butter onto each apple slice.

c) Sprinkle some granola on top.

d) Eat it as a healthy snack while watching the morning cartoons. Goes well with a tall glass of milk too!

SERVES: 1 Momma or 1 Tot

6. SOFT-BOILED EGG & BREAD DIPPERS

Image from Inmagine

Eggs are inexpensive, the easiest things to cook, but are so high in nutritional value. That's why our kitchen is always full of them! As soon as your bub is old enough, it's good to let them eat eggs for high quality protein. Most toddlers like to dip their foods, so these toast fingers are a fun way to make them finish up their meal.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Egg
1 Piece of Toast
Butter (optional)


WHAT TO DO: 

a) Boil your egg for about 10 minutes.

b) Toast a piece of bread.

b) Remove from pot and crack open the top OR crack open the whole egg into a bowl.

c) Cut up the toast into strips for easy dipping.

d) You may choose to lightly butter the toast fingers.

e) Let your tot have fun dipping and eating this healthy breakfast.

SERVES: 1 Momma or 1 Tot

8. CUTE FOOD ART

I LOVE YOU BEARY MUCH - My very own food art creation for Gemini Grrl. It is peanut butter on bread with apple slice cut-outs and blueberries.

Ok, you must admit that these cutesy food art creations that you've seen all over Pinterest and the world wide web sometimes makes you feel like a pretty crappy Mom for serving your child a boring piece of toast with some butter slapped on it. Fret not, because seriously, food art is not all that difficult to make and I have attempted a few of my own (with satisfactory results!). Bread is the easiest thing to start off with (and a common breakfast staple) and you can use cookie cutters to make fun shapes. Feel free to experiment with different bread/ toast toppings (peanut butter, kaya, Nutella, jam, honey, marmalade, vegemite, avocado, etc) for a variety of colours, as well as different pieces of fruit and vegetables. Just a simple smiley face will do and your kids will probably happily gobble it all up :)

INGREDIENTS:

Bread or Toast
Fruit
Vegetables
Breakfast Spread

WHAT TO DO:

a) Use a cookie cutter to cut out the shape of your food art base (for example, circle for a face).

b) Spread on any breakfast spread of your choice.

c) Cut out shapes out of fruit or vegetables and use to garnish/ decorate your base.

d) Present your work of art for your child to ooh and aah.

SERVES: 1 Momma or 1 Tot

8. OVERNIGHT OATMEAL CHIA SEED PUDDING

Image from Inmagine

As I mentioned before, chia seeds are a super food, and not only are they rich in omega 3, calcium, protein, iron, magnesium and anti-oxidants amongst other things, but they can be added to lots of different recipes without altering the taste. These humble looking little seeds will absorb any liquid they're mixed in and will swell up 2 ~ 3x their size and become fun little squishy pops in your drinks of puddings. Pair this with some rolled oats and you have a power couple right there. This is an overnight pudding recipe, which means that you have to prepare it the night before and leave it in the fridge, so you can just grab it in the morning, but to put it together takes up less than 10 minutes of your time.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbs of Chia Seeds
 1/2 Cup of Milk (can be cow's milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc)

 1 tbs of Rolled Oats
1 tsp of Honey (or to taste)
Mixed Berries

Chocolate Chips (optional)

WHAT TO DO:

a) In a small glass jar, spoon in the rolled oats.

b) Add the chia seeds.

c) Pour in the milk.

d) Add the honey and mix will.

e) Sprinkle in some mixed berries or chocolate chips for a sinful treat.

f) Mix well or close lid and shake jar.

g) Leave in the fridge overnight.

h) Eat it nice and cold the next day straight from the jar.

SERVES: 1 Momma or 2 Toddlers

9. ABC SMOOTHIE

Image from Inmagine

ABC, it's easy as 1-2-3! This simple but deliciously creamy smoothie is actually really good for you. A is for Avocado, B is for Banana and C is for Chocolate. Yeah, I came up with that name all by myself, so creative right? LOL! You have to put in minimal effort to cut up the fruits and then toss everything into a blender and press a button. How much easier can it get?

INGREDIENTS:

3 ~ 6 Over-ripe Banana (depending on how banana-y and sweet you like it)
3 tsp Cocoa Powder
1 Cup of Milk (Cow, Goat, Coconut, Almond, Soy - up to you!)
1 Ripe Avocado
Dash of Cinnamon Powder (optional)

WHAT TO DO:

a) Slice up the bananas and put in blender.

b) Scoop out avocado flesh and put in blender.

c) Pour milk in blender.

d) Add cocoa powder in blender.

e) Add a dash of cinnamon powder if you like.

f) Blend the living daylights out of your mix.

g) Pour into tall glass, add straw and any other toppings of your choice.

h) Drink up and don't even strain yourself to chew anything.

*TIP: If you like your smoothies to be cold, then I suggest you peel, slice and freeze your bananas overnight, then blend them up the next day when they're still frozen. This is better than blending in some ice.

SERVES: 2 Mommas or 3 Tots

10. NON-FUSS SAVOURY TOAST

Image from Inmagine

My Mom used to make us those super tasty prawn toasts growing up, and the Asian side of me actually doesn't mind eating it in the morning. But honestly, who wants to be shelling and mincing up prawns at the crack of dawn, right? (No, seriously, shut up). So here is my own insanely simplified version of savoury toast you can do with your eyes still half-closed.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Egg
3 Pieces of Bread
Five-Spice Powder
Cooking Oil

Chilli Sauce or Ketchup (optional)

WHAT TO DO:

a) In a bowl, whisk up the egg.

b) Add in a small dash of the five-spice powder and mix well.

c) Heat up some cooking oil in a pan.

d) Dip each piece of bread into the eggy mixture until well coated.

e) Fry the eggy bread in the pan until crispy.

f) Cut each fried bread into 4 small squares or triangles.

g) Dip in the chilli sauce or ketchup, whichever you prefer.

SERVES: 1 Momma & 1 Tot

***

But seriously though, you should also buy a big box of relatively healthy cereal, some good full cream milk, fresh berries and pour your child a bowl of cereal with fruit on those days that you seriously, honestly, just can not function. Don't feel guilty about it. At least you're trying to feed you child something of nutritional value. We all deserve a break sometimes! ;)

To The Mom Of The Toddler Who Was Left Home Alone & Fell Out The Window

The view of the incident from my house. Circled in red is the man who was filming the whole thing.

Yesterday as I sat by my living room window trying to get some work done on my laptop, I heard a woman from the block across from mine screaming at the top of her lungs repeatedly. I didn't really think much about it at first because to be honest, my neighbourhood's a bit weird sometimes and there are all sorts of interesting characters around here every now and then (just a few days ago, I was wondering whether there was somebody at the playground downstairs attempting to sing rather badly, or perhaps it was just a cat giving birth to a watermelon). There is a Primary School literally around the corner and the boisterous students who are usually playing downstairs make questionable wildlife sounds as well, so I did not think anything was amiss. But the screaming did not stop and she seemed like she was really in distress. 

Then I heard a man shouting, "Hello! Hello! Hello!!". Still thinking that perhaps it was a domestic dispute or a lovers' quarrel, I peeked out the window to see what all the fuss was about. I spotted a man standing on the grass and staring up towards the other block - he appeared to be holding his handphone and filming something up there. From my angle, I was unable to see what exactly he was watching unfold before him, but a small crowd started to form and I could hear everyone's panicked voices filling the air.

A woman gasped in horror. School students were pointing upwards. Mothers tightly clutched their young ones. What on earth was happenining, I wondered? Was there a big dramatic fight scene going on at the balcony and those people were nosy spectators? Is somebody contemplating suicide by jumping to their deaths and the bystanders are watching in horror? Or did someone accidentally fall out the window and is holding on for dear life while everyone else is holding their breaths preparing for the worst?

Circled in red is the foreignn worker running to the scene, as the bystanders watched helplessly.

Then, I spotted a foreign worker from across the road running towards the ever-growing crowd. He gazed up at what they were staring at, and immediately - without even hesitating for one minute - sprang into action and scaled up the walls to offer his assistance to whoever it was that was on the 2nd floor (I deduced that by now because that was the only unit occupied, from what I could see, except for the 8th floor and up (which was too high from how I observed where the crowd was looking at). People gasped and were calling out in fright. Sirens wailed and the emergency response team arrived on the scene within minutes. They took out a ladder and swiftly climbed up, and upon descending, I watched in absolute horror as I realised that the victim they had just rescued was a small child, probably about Gemini Grrl's age! She was only wearing a diaper and she clutched tightly to her rescuer as everyone heaved sighs of relief.

How the hell did a tiny toddler get herself into such a dangerous situation to begin with?? Where was her Mother?? How could she let this happen??

From the news reports that followed, and according to the short interviews of the child's parents, the little girl was asleep and her Mother had to send her other daughter to school nearby. Apparantly it was about 5 minutes from their house, so she thought she could slip away and be back home again within 10 minutes or so before her younger daughter woke up. Now, before we all start bashing the woman and saying she is irresponsible or stupid or not fit to be a parent, let me just say that as much as I do not condone what she did, nor am I defending her (I don't know her, she is not a friend of mine, we may live in the same neighbourhood but I have never seen her or her kids before in my whole entire life), let us just think WHY a Mother of 3 would even do that in the first place.

Circled in red is the unit where the family lives, on the 2nd floor.
Their windows are wide open and there are no safety grilles installed.

In one of her interviews, she explains that she has no help whatsoever from anybody. It has been made known that her husband is the sole breadwinner, so I guess it's right to say that she is a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) with no maid and no help to watch her kids, do the chores, or run her errands. We all know that when babies and toddlers do not get enough sleep or miss their naps, they get cranky as hell and turn into tantrum-throwing unreasonable grumpy things. From the sounds of it, she has probably left her child at home alone before while she quickly popped out to send her other children to school and all that.

Ok, Momma, if you're reading this, please do so carefully. It is NOT ok to leave your child alone at home by themselves, especially since they are still so young. No matter how fast you think you will be, no matter how nearby the distance of the place that you're popping to is, no matter if you're child is asleep and you really don't want to wake her up just so you can drag her across the street to send off her older sibling to preschool for all of 10 minutes - under no circumstances is it ever safe to leave your young child unattended, without supervision, for any amount of time at all.

I am not angry at you. I do not think you are stupid. I do not think you deserve to have all your 3 children snatched away from you, thrown into foster care and all parental rights revoked indefinitely. I do not think you are irresponsible. What I do think is that you are just unaware of the dangers of leaving your toddler all alone by herself at home. What I do think is that you underestimated the life-threatening dangers that surround your small child every corner of your own home. What I do think is that perhaps you were a little overwhelmed by being a SAHM to 3 young children, with no help whatsoever, just trying to do the best you can to keep your head above water. And without a doubt, I know you as a Mother would never intentionally want to put your own flesh and blood in any harm.

But unfortunately things turned out the way they did. I assume your little daughter woke up from her nap earlier than she normally does, to an empty house and started to search for her Mother and siblings. She must have wandered around and eventually ended up out on the balcony where she thought maybe she could get a better view of you crossing the road on your usual routine to send off her sister to school. So she probably climbed up onto something that was there and somehow lost balance, and tumbled over the edge, as there were no safety grilles installed there. 

My cloth-rack railings which are identical to the ones where the little girl fell through.
(And yes, I know I have an animal-print obsession)

Now by luck and by the grace of God, her body slipped through the metal railings of the clothes-drying rack, but her head got caught and she therefore did not fall through. But she was dangling there by her neck, kicking furiously and crying out for help. She could have broken her neck, or fallen through and fell 2 storeys down - a very nasty fall for a child that small. If the quick-thinking foreign worker had not acted swiftly, then she could have been seriously injured. If a good samaritan did not call for help, then the SCDF would not have reached there in time.

To the Mother and Father of this little girl who is the focus of today's news across the nation - please get safety grilles installed on all your windows and at the balcony, because you have 3 children (and a cat!) living in your house. I know it's not cheap. I know you have mountains of bills to pay. I know you have many mouths to feed. I know that life in Singapura is not a bed of roses for some as others may think. I know you think this freak accident couldn't possibly happen twice. Just please, think about the safety of your little ones. 

From what I can see in the interviews, you have a lovely little couch where the family sat on to answer the reporter's questions. Your daughter was fiddling around with an iPad. You have pretty curtains by your windows. You have clean clothes on your back. If you bought all of that with your own hard-earned money, then kindly consider spending part of your budget on such safety measures immediately. If those items were donated to you by generous friends and family members, then please ask them to help sponsor your grilles as soon as possible. The safety and welfare of your children should come first. Maybe it did not cross your mind that it is a vital feature you should consider adding in your home, and your reason is that you do not have the budget for it. If you have the money for all the other things I mentioned above, then you do have the money to get safety grilles installed. I know it'll set you back a couple of hundred dollars. I know times are tough. I know the public transportation fees are rising. I know the prices of everything are soaring. I know, boy do I know. But I also know that you do not ever want this incident to repeat ever again.

The foreign worker fearlessly climbing up to save the frightened toddler, who is dangling by her neck.
Photo: Youtube/ Alvin Tan

And if you still are unable to afford it, then ok, I understand. No, really, I honestly and sincerely do. Daily necessities are your top priority and you are just trying your best to make end's meet. Not everyone realises that we do not all have the same privileges or opportunities given to us in life. 

Just please, from now on, never ever leave your child alone at home or anywhere else without supervision for that matter. NO that is NOT ok. You may not not have realised the risks of this before, but NOW YOU KNOW. So please let this be a lesson learnt. A lesson learnt for all of you out there as well. It is easy to point fingers and judge others and call them names. But sometimes we forget that we are all human too. We make mistakes as well. We are not all perfect parents. Yes, what the Mother did was wrong, and it was splashed all over the news so she has an angry mob after her now. But haven't we all done something we wish we could undo? Haven't we all made poor choices as parents? Or turned around for one second, only to realise our child has managed to get themselves into a sticky situation?

I for one have had my Bad Parent Moment 2 years ago at my own home, when Gemini Grrl was about 1 year's old. I was folding laundry in her room and she was right next to me, sitting inside the laundry basket, pretending it was a boat and giggling away uncontrollably. She then got up and ran into my bedroom just next door. As I called out to her and got up from the floor to go bring her back in, I heard a sickening thud and as I took just 2 steps forward to look into my room, I saw her lying on the ground, moaning. Within the 3 seconds that she had ran out of her room where I was, she managed to clamber up onto my bed and then leapt off, landing in a crumpled heap on the cold hard floor, head-first. I screamed in sheer terror and ran to scoop her up. She was conscious and then started to cry in pain. A humongous bump formed on her forehead and I immediately rushed her to the emergency room, crying hysterically all the way there. She was fine in the end and did not suffer a concussion or any internal bleeding. 

But I still feel like that was the absolute worse parenting moment I made in my whole entire life of being a Mother and I was a complete failure. I swear to God it just took 3 seconds for her to run out of the room, climb onto the bed and fall on her head, as I was still sitting cross-legged on the floor, getting myself up and about to walk over to bring her back to my pile of laundry. I was not in the toilet with the door closed while she watched tv alone in the living room. I was not in the kitchen cooking up a 5-course meal as she played by herself in her room. And I certainly did not pop out to the nearby 7'11s to buy a bag of chips while she remained unsupervised at home. The 3 seconds was more than enough for her to get injured and earn her a trip to the children's hospital.

The Mother, the child, the Father and her older sister.
(Photo: TNP/ Benjamin Seetor)

We may never know what that toddler's Mother was thinking when she felt it was absolutely fine to leave her sleeping child unattended, and they may never install safety grilles in their house even after this unfortunate incident. But let's not make things worse for them by wishing them ill intentions, or proposing that social services take their children away for good - because no family should be torn apart. Granted that this case did showcase some poor parenting choices made, but do we really want to rip the innocent children from their parents' arms and send them off to a shelter somewhere, waiting in limbo for an unknown future?

Let's just say thank you to the two brave foreign workers who went to the poor child's aid without a second thought. And also to the SCDF team for doing a good job. As well as everyone else who helped in any way. Let us wish the parents well and hope that they will rethink their actions from now on and take the extra precaution to put their children's safety and welfare first.

Please remember that no matter how much or how little money you have, your children are irreplaceable and should always be your number one priority. You are lucky that this story had a happy ending. You are lucky that there were people there to come to her rescue. You are lucky that your child is still alive and well.You are very, very lucky indeed.


*UPDATE: The MP of our Town Council has visited the family and by using some charity funds, has kindly helped to get safety grilles installed on all the windows in the house. 

Free Diapers & Milk for Tots & Bubs!

Image from: Inmagine

Although us Taurus personalities tend to naturally be frugal, we also love to share with others. In this case, I'd like to share these wonderful freebies with all my readers to grab for your little one :D

*Please note that this is only open to Citizens & PRs of Singapura.

DIAPERS

Image from: Imagine

As much as I wanted to save the planet and also save my baby's bottom, I personally don't think I can cope with washing poopy diapers amongst the other long list of household chores, various job assignments I have to complete as a WAHM, as well as just being a Mom to my very active daughter! So disposable diapers are the way to go. Sorry Mother Earth! 

:: DRYPERS ::

:: GOON ::

:: HUGGIES ::

:: MAMY POKO ::

:: MERRIES (TAPE) ::

:: MERRIES (WALKER PANTS) ::

:: NEPIA BABY ::

FORMULA MILK

Image from: Imagine

Although I am pro-breastfeeding and strongly believe in extended breastfeeding, I also understand that we all have different bodies and circumstances. So for those who do use formula milk, here are some free samples :)

:: DUMEX (MAMIL)::

:: ENFAGROW ::

:: FRISO ::

:: KARIHOME ::

:: NESTLE ::

:: S-26 ::

:: SIMILAC ::


I will be posting another list soon of freebies for us Moms to enjoy, so do check my blog for updates. Also, if you have any other links to free samples (Mommy, Baby, Kiddy or Family related only please!), do share them with us either by leaving a comment or emailing me. Thanks!

A Look in the Clouds: Modern Art OR Toddler Art?

I was watching a TV show today called, "My Kid Could Paint That", which is an old documentary from 2007 about a supposed child prodigy named Marla Olmstead who was 4 years old at the time and was creating beautiful paintings which were selling for tens of thousands of dollars (!!). At one point of the show, the gallery owner who was also a Realist Artist expressed his disdain for Modern Art and was frustrated as to why people would spend significantly more money on such art pieces, as opposed to paintings in his preferred style. I sort of agreed with him, but also reminded myself that art really is very subjective. What may come across as a hot mess on a piece of canvas, may appeal to others and be perceived by them as a wondrous masterpiece. The same goes for music, theatre/ movies, fashion and all that. 

BIGGIE - Sculpted by Gemini Grrl (Age 2)

To me, listening to Heavy Metal and Rock music actually makes me feel happier, it can even calm me down and just put me in a better mood. Of course there are also certain songs that will fire me up and invoke other feelings, but generally I like to listen to these genres of music because it speaks to my heart. Some people, on the other hand, wouldn't even consider it as music, citing it to be too noisy, scary, and that it promotes violence and anger. They find it strange that I don't listen to Jazz for example - but honestly, for some strange reason, Jazz makes me feel highly irritable and it really makes me feel like punching someone in the face. My Mom thinks I'm odd.

There was buyer of one of Marla's painting and he was describing what he could see from the random paint splodges of colour smeared on the canvas. At one corner, he could supposedly make out  a narrow pathway leading up to an open door, and the figure of a person inside the doorway, looking out; as well as another figure of a person outside, looking in. When he pointed that out, I started to see it too and was nodding along in agreement. But then he pointed up towards the "sky" part beyond the open doorway and said he could clearly make out a baby's face with the perfect details of the nose, eyes, mouth etc - much like on an ultrasound scan. That's where he lost me. It was a literal look in the clouds and he saw what he wanted to see. But if that was what he saw and that makes him happy enough to fork out a 4-figure cheque, then it's his prerogative. Maybe some people prefer their art to be open for interpretation? Something which allows their mind to wander and their imaginations to run wild? Perhaps Realist Art is too "final"for them - because it is what it is and there's no other way to interpret it. Not to say that a skyline of buildings or a luscious landscape is not as admirable as random splatters of paint, I definitely agree appreciate the amount of talent, hard work, patience and effort that goes into such paintings. But maybe some people don't want their art to be definite and enjoy seeing what they want to see.

RED TULIP - Painted by Gemini Grrl (Age 2)

I was a Drama (Theatre Arts) student back in college, but was also exposed to the other mediums of Art as part of my course, however, I do not claim to have much knowledge in the field of Visual Arts, neither can I fully understand nor appreciate paintings, sculptures and such. But I do understand that just like any other art form, if you truly pour your all into your work, then it will be shown in the final piece. Also, if you create art with wild abandonment, only then will you be able to capture the raw and honest reflections of your heart and soul. I remember there were points in time when I was forced to come up with a devised piece or write a new script under pressure, and would work hard to squeeze out my creative juices. But art does not work that way. You cannot force it out of you. It is not something you can just sit down and let it flow out if the inspiration is not there. Especially if you're stressing about how many credit points it's going to get you, what grades you will be marked for it, whether the audience will appreciate and understand it or would anyone pay good money for it? An Artist cannot overthink things. That is the problem a lot of adults face. 

But children on the other hand, have no inhibitions. Creating art comes naturally to them and it is often in the innocence of children's artwork that you can catch a glimpse of the purity of their souls. The happiness in their heart. The beautiful way they see the world through their eyes, which we adults sometimes forget about.

I WANT COOKIES - Painted by Gemini Grrl (Age 2)

When I watch my daughter painting or drawing with crayons, there is this peaceful calm in her face as she concentrates on creating her masterpiece. It may not be the work of a child prodigy, but it makes me smile just seeing how relaxed and happy she is transferring her ideas onto paper. When she's done, she will proudly show me her work and I would ask her about the things she has drawn. Sometimes it is "a baby cat eating and it starts to rain", sometimes it is "Mommy is very happy and smiling", sometimes it is "a purple carrot in the garden". Sometimes I can't even make out what exactly it is. And sometimes even she doesn't know what exactly it is. But there are also times when I get myself excited because I think I can see a wonderful toddler's interpretation of Modern Art, so I snap 199 pictures of it and upload it for all my friends to see and give me their feedback whether they see the same thing I do - or do I just need to calm down and get my eyes checked.

OILY MAN - Painted by Gemini Grrl (Age 2)

There is a funny quiz online which asks if you can tell the difference between Modern Art and Toddlers' Art. I scored 5/11. Yikes. But apparantly when ABCNews asked Artists and an Art Historian to take this test, they didn't score too well either. So maybe, just for fun, I should submit Gemini Grrl's artwork to a gallery somewhere and hope that someone sees the value in them as much as I do? :P What do you think? Am I delusional? Can you make out the same things I can in her creations below? Let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear your feedback!

BLUE JAY - Painted by Gemini Grrl (Age 2)