Today is Mum's 70th birthday.

We surprised her with dinner at Hua Ting restaurant in Orchard Hotel. Amy Ang very kindly arranged for a private room with complimentary peach buns and birthday cake. Apart from us and Alan, Mike and Siew, Chris and Chin and their children were also invited. We put up a happy birthday banner, and we had Tattinger champagne and a bottle of Chateau Margaux to start. Mum didn't know of course so we all hid behind the table in the dark and jumped out yelling "Surprise!!!" when she walked in. She seemed pretty chuffed. Alexis got it on video.

The children had cards for her and flowers. Ethan gave her a scarf which he apparently decided not to reimburse his dad for. "I'll choose it?" he offered.

All in all it was a satisfying evening, marred by Isabel scratching Alexis on the arm over the video camera. It took off the top layer of skin and had to be bandaged. Isabel spent the rest of the evening, which she had looked forward to, in disgrace.

Afterwards J and I disagreed over whether she should be punished for it. I argued she had been punished enough with the disgrace, and also she did genuinely feel bad for her sister. But J felt she deserved more to deter her from hurting her sister again in the future. Alexis pleaded for Isabel not to be punished too much and Isabel was in tears when I suggested grounding her for a month. Such drama.