Church camp 27-30 dec 2015

We had a blast in the camp for both the adults n the kids. For once, we could finally weaned Joann off from us. She is v happy to b with the kids prog (so much so she's bored w us hmm) n we adults soaked ourselves in the spirit of God. The theme building lives together was so timely aft we ended the series of Nehemiah which talks a lot Abt building the church together. Think we have been thru 'ruins' n it's time we gather everyone to rebuild this body of God. Something we din quite expect it to happen but glad things are piecing together now esp when we are marching into 2016 together as a church. 

The whole camp prog was planned in such ways there was lots of chances to know others to build the body of Christ. Glad there was interest grp activities the kids could participate such as bowling just opp the changi village hotel at the civil svc club n even the board games which the kids n even us picked up more good games to play as a grp! The kids loved the German game Ligretto n even younger kids like Joann loved the ugly doll. Such times were good to know others as the kids got to play w the youths n even younger ones were together piecing jigsaws together. 

Everyone was sad when the camp came to an end but our friendships go beyond the camp n it sure overflows into our church life n beyond. Exciting times ahead as we watch the works of God unveil in our own lives n church life too!

Family for life....food decoration

Yest we attended a family for life event at enabling village near our home. It's meant to b deliberate time spent w family n since our usual sat is out as a family so we attended this. Not a huge crowd n some activities ard, Joann was keen on the bouncy castle, snake n ladder activities n we signed up for food decoration which was kind of fun coz we rarely do this at home.

It was run by shatec n we were to decorate bread into fish shape n with lots of sweet stuff like icing, M&Ms, choc chips n colorful stuff. The kids had fun just decorating it. 2nd food item was decorating the brownies n Ian enjoyed writing his name on the sticks but they sure tasted yummy. It was just a fun time playing as a family n this event is run monthly I think

Christmas staycation

For a change, we changed from Christmas meals to a stay over with the Chng clan (of coz missing jiu2 n family) we stayed over changi village hotel as we have been to that hotel n felt it was good to b away from hustle n bustle and we could still booked it pretty last min.

Kids were most thrilled to b out of home to go to a hotel (tho we would b back a few days later for church camp) we checked in yest n saw a lot of locals checking in, guess it's the long wkend. We had crazy time in the rooms as our rooms were all lined side by side. We explored the changi beach park, the kids had fun at the playground. Joann was going several rounds on the climbing rope thrill as lately she found herself hanging on well with ropes n this time she tried a few times w her cousins n later bravely went on her own. We rem how we 1st came here in Jan, she was already keenly trying it but daddy gotta assist in pushing her upwards n some months later, she is able to manovere on her own. Our little girl has grown so agile hmm 

Dinner was at changi village n was superb with the spread of local delights. A rare chance to have a bit of everything since usually our family can't eat so much so it's good to go in crowd but think we all ate too much haha. Dayi got a super cute set of macaroons just for the occasion n see the 2 special ones Joann n Ian picked for themselves 

Tdy we Skype w the Chng clan in us n it's been a while since we skype n was good for the folks to do it on such special time. Then it was pool fun n it was hot under the sun but the kids loved it nonetheless. Well we then adjourned to airport upon check out n was good trail thereafter. Guess we all had a belly merry Christmas this yr n definitely a hassle free one as we had good food wherever we go n we just need the good company! Hohoho merry Christmas 

Christmas wonderland

We thanked God for another wonderful day as it was a rare Sunday we don't hv usual family dinner n Thot we shld head out to the Christmas wonderland at gardens by the bay. Read a lot Abt the traffic n just last nite the road was temporarily closed coz of traffic. So we braved the traffic n went early like 4+ to check out the Christmas market. Was kind of nice except too hot as we stroll down from barrage (as most car parks had long trail of cars) n the kids were so hooked on looking at every activity. There was dozens of 'traps' haha a lot of game booths n it was just tough to win their prizes. Joann was asking endlessly for the games. Just merely enjoying watching pple play n losing their tokens, the kids knew it was tough so ended up telling them if they walked off wo playing the games which din guarantee them a prize, they are guaranteed an ice cream from us. Glad they din succumb to it.

Off we went for our dinner while waiting for the skies to turn dark n for the lights to come on. Everywhere was crowded so we managed to get a table at an oriental western restaurant haha what a mix up name Anw kids loved their kids meal b pleasantly surprised food was served fast despite of the crowd. 

Soon we ventured out n this time cooler n we were treated w Hwa Chung choir singing n rather cool to hear Christmas carols at the Christmas market. The mood is in the air n the wind started coming in, it was cooler despite the crowd coming in too. Had some mini pan cakes as food was hard to resist at the place hee. Was telling Ian how cool to go Christmas market in Europe but here it's humid. Saw a lot of kiddy rides n we were thrilled by the AIA trick art. There was skating rink, Santa Claus cottage n photo booths. 

N we were treated to this Christmas  music thingy under the super grove. Pretty cool to see the lighting n kids were enjoying the music with their ice cream cones. Just nice that we made it this evening n glad we braved thru the crowd

National day out

First saw this on advert n Thot it sounded like some baby day out so din pay much attention but then saw on Internet seems like it's for families nation wide but checking online we were too late to register. Anw abit wary of crowd but who knows this morning weather looks good n daddy says go. So off we went, hoping to go early to miss the mass. Din expect we would b going sports hub so soon again. It's the same system - a play card n u hope ard stations to play games. First thing we did was to register for craft workshops as there were time slots allocated but a lot of pple have pre registered so we weren't sure what we could get. Looking thru the list we wanted to register for 11am slot n Ian chose Christmas gift bag n we got it.

Off we went to play the station games, the kids couldn't wait to play the bouncy castle as we missed that at the para games. This time they really went bouncing ard - at castle, trampoline n then slide. Kind of fun as there was a part they had to rope climb to slide down n reached the bouncy platform. 

There aft they went to play soccer, guess something like that para games n mama queued for photo taking. Soon we were done n waiting for photo shoot. Quite pro as they had 3 backdrop n so we got the Christmas balloon design n they gave 4 shots n were printed out really soon! 

It was time for our 11am craft workshop n they did a nice owl Christmas bag at the sports hub lib. Cool n was done in a swift. We were left with last stamp for the card n was water activity. Little did we know there was water fun. Long queue for the paddle boat n apprehensive as we waited if Joann could manovere on her own as it was a kid by herself. Waited at least 30 mins n both kids were under hot sun driving the paddle boat n turned out it was the most fun activity for the day! The kids really enjoyed themselves n with completed card we were given more goodie bag n a very nice day out umbrella as it was all animal themed n the kids loved the animal umbrella too. Just glad we had a fun 2hr at the carnival n completed what we had set out to do n both kids felt they enjoyed it more than para games tho it was just so short 2 hrs! Thumbs up to national day out!

Our step challenge starts!

At the start of Sch hols, mama has been thinking how to keep the kids fit thru the hols since we got so much time thru the day. The start of hols, we would go downstairs n run but the kids lose momentum aft a (short) while sigh n get distracted by the many distractions downstairs. Their fav was climbing the 'ladder' n the old folks corner sigh n 2nd wk we were away. Last wk tried running again but it ended up mama running alone so was thinking hard of alternative.

Came across this step challenge on papers, a national drive but dunno why din see the advert till now, guess we read what we like to read on papers n omit such stuff. Last Sunday was determined to get the step tracker (a watch like thingy to track the steps u take each day) but no avail aft visiting a few n calling some outlets as the drive started 2 mths ago so stocks running low. Well we started the walking just yest. Did the usual route to Parliament House but kids no scooter went really slow n motivation was to get ice cream sigh so Parliament House was kind of too far so compromised to Liang court but the slurpee machine out of order so walked back n went past a 7-11 store n each got an ice cream n both grinning on way home n we shopped for a long while at GWC haha not tiring when u shop!

Tdy we took the same route n this time they knew what they were into, wanted to ask them to walk further to the central mall but both din want n slurpee machine was up at Liang court 7-11 n this brings so much cheer to both n we walked back n went to GWC again haha coz someone brought $ to buy things he couldn't buy the previous day n there we found the step tracker haha we din check out the previous day n guess our lives would b diff w the step tracker now. Onward we go 10,000 steps a day!

The future of us

Well much advert on that n with much anticipation to the exhibit but well not as crowded as we expected n exhibition is pretty small scale n a lot of forecast of how life would b in the future (they projected some scenes of the life in 2030, seems cool but scary how life would b, very tech savvy then but yet lack the human touch, somehow felt the whole exhibition is pre-empting pple how life would b n persuading pple to b more inclusive n consider any others like how spore used to b) expected to walk away with more, wonder if my kids understand the take home from this but it's definitely scary for me to think how life would b- busier than ever tho next time car would b automated, transport is more sofisticated but just lack all the humane emotions in all things. At the blue skies some where we are to send wishes, we just kept sending love msg, think love for others n not only self is v impt for the future of us! Just a very personal take home

Ian is another mth older

This seems to b the longest mth ever, just in the past mth we have done so much, ate so much, had so much fun n so much squabble together. Guess that is the result of long hols. The boy is still loving it without having to go Sch n able to watch tv serials that he loves, going to bed late n not having tons of homework. Well the time spent in hols can b sweet n can b bitter too coz of the amt of time he has together w mei2 n sure to squabble more n get more scolding but yet there are sweet time he will teach her very patiently n play with her lovingly. Well won't sure he is the tyrant kind of brother but sure wish he could b more selfless at more times. Guess he knows being older bro has to give in a lot more but yet at times he just thinks it's enough n his sis needs to b taught in a hard way hmm

Well well hols is the time they learn to b more loving coz they meet each other when they get up n eat at every meal. They sure give each other hugs n kisses each morning n spur each other to run on when we go exercise. Guess that is siblinghood n sure enjoy each other company tho squabble is inevitable. Another 3 more wks to go, we are half way thru the hols

Para asean games

For some time Ian has been bugging me to bring them to para games. But we were away for a good portion of the games n so had to squeeze in aft we are back. Yest was supp to b good but Thot the kids might b tired aft the trip so we went tdy instead. Our usual Kakis were away n so abit apprehensive to go w both kids in tow but glad we made it coz the games were more enjoyable than what we had at sea games in Jun. 

It was less crowded (tho a lot of grps were there either by Sch or cc) but coz we could hop at all the venues n games since it's free admission so we headed to table tennis 1st at Ocbc arena n it was cool place as in a few sports were there n we could just hop around the halls. 

The kids were introduced to para games as they hardly had chance to see pple on wheelchair or wo limbs to play the games. It was fun with all the cheering n fun. We headed to the carnival where the kids had endless fun w the lanyard n stamps. We r done w 5 stamps really soon n the trick was with that card w 5 stamps u could redeem some collectibles stuff n u could get a lucky dip (if it has a smiley on the ping pong ball, we could move on to play this spidey game which is to be hung into a pit of stuff to see if u win the big prize. Sigh n mummy got the 'lucky' dip n both kids din dare to go in for the game n so mummy had to go in haha n won a year worth of note book haha, din win the big prize. The games were meaningful as they taught how it was like for a handicapped to do some stuff like we had to play football with tainted glasses n the kids get to sit on wheelchair to know the feel of it. 

Aft lunch we wanted to watch the games again but we chanced upon a Nila fun run n it was like an amazing race, it was like an app game to go ard the places in the area n there were games to play along the way. But strangely the games were abit tough n ended up mummy had to perform the tasks like the uni cycle n Eco cycle (i.e. Balance on a wheel drive or 2 wheels drive) well but we had tons of fun just running ard n tho we din complete all (as afraid Joann can't run all the places wo nap) but we got prizes too haha. N we also managed to watch some games along the way like the boccia, athletics n was cool as we visited places like the national stadium. Aft we got our prizes we went to watch wheel chair basketball n it was the most exciting maybe coz of the speed the game went on but kind of eye opener for kids to see how the handicapped will still b so sporty n yet see beyond their physical handicap to play a sport. 

It was good to b able to catch so many of the games n we also ended the evening with more games at the carnival b4 daddy came to join us for dinner. It was a truly enjoyable day out n have fun at the para asean games n guess prob it is our last as the kids would b grown up at the next games. Fun times to remember 

Our Msia hols 2-6 dec 2015

We haven't tried venturing to kl on our own b4 n this hols we tried driving in, braving the traffic n it seems pretty ok to drive in. Glad we made it to the hotel pretty fast aft a full bf at JB. We were so early at kl that we went to have lunch n do shopping b4 check in time. The kids loved the family suite we booked coz it was huge n they could run ard (there is a full loop for them to run ard) n of coz the huge bath tub. We went more shopping n check out kidzania b4 we decided to go back for a swim b4 dinner in room. The weather was so good we couldn't resist a swim b4 a nice dinner in the room. 

The next day was spent in kidzania n the kids had a whale of the time n we ended the nite w dinner at IKEA just opp the hotel. The hotel is very well linked to malls, IKEA n even tesco. The next day we hit to Melaka for 2nd leg of our Msia hols with the rest of our family. The kids were thrilled to meet their cousins n all. We went to the usual Mille crepe place, the naan restaurant for our meals. We hit to jonker that nite coz weather was good n glad we made it as the following nite it poured n we went back in rain aft some movie time n batik painting done in the day. The kids enjoyed the time together n we had more fun in the suite with food we packed from the local mkt. 

The next day was to bid farewell to ah mu n family as they were heading to kl n we were going home. We had a blast of time just traveling in Msia n brought home much memories tho the kids wished they could stay on forever haha we had good family time at kl n splendid time with the rest of family at Melaka 

For 8 hrs, we conquered 19 tasks!

We have heard Abt kidzania but nv felt more ready for it than now coz Joann turned 4yo n she is more ready for all the activities as most of them must meet 4yo criteria. N most crucial is both of them can b company for each other since parents can't go in with them. It's a place to let them know earning $ is not easy as they do task to earn kidzo $ n we made kidzania passport so that they could earn $ faster haha as a motivation for them! But this passport can bring them to all kidzania over the world.

We had 8hrs spent at this place n did 19 tasks each of them.it seems endless as they keep wanting to go on but it was just tiring esp Joann din take nap n most of the time they r on their move really working or queuing for their turn. We enjoyed the magic show most haha coz we were audience but for them it's prob the super market coz they had 3 rounds of it n weren't tired. Tdy is a wkday n not supp to b so crowded but yet some popular tasks are really long so we skipped some of them. Guess we shld b back soon since the kids know how it's like to earn kidzo $ to buy that item they want from the store n for now, they hv atm card for their $$ in cimb bank. For that we shld visit 1 again to earn more $

PSA port tour

A rare chance to visit daddy's work place. 2 yrs ago we did attend something similar organized by the engineering dept n tdy it's at corporate level. Personally felt tdy we understood more tho for the kids, they don't quite recall what they learnt 2 yrs ago. 

Tdy we went to the Pasir panjang terminal where daddy started his 1st stint on the job. A lot more understanding of the diff cranes n how the containers are organized where they are being organized n saw live demo of them getting the prime mover to stack n unlock the locks. We even saw a reever container (i.e. a container to keep food that needs to b stored b4 setting off to the destination) n they ended the tour w a ice cream treat from that container n was chilling under the hot sun. V interesting to see empty containers as they tell that empty containers usually set to east i.e. China for goods n if it comes to west then it's usually full as they got the goods from China. As spore is a transshipment hub so a lot of goods pass by here n we saw the new car bay either for local market else it's for export. It's an interesting trip to see the day to day things happening at the port n so glad we made it as was told it is fully subscribed. Now more appreciative of the port biz n there was a video of a lady who decided to work in psa straight aft grad as deeply influenced by her dad n they were calling for early recruitment as a lot of staff brought their kids along 

Our 1st visit to the national gallery

So much hype about the opening n how could we miss it? Ah mu Jio us to go for the opening n we booked online the tics n kids never know what they were into till we reached the place as there was a queue outside already. In there they were treated to lots of arts stuff at the Keppel ctr as it was a lot of hands on stuff. We were only given 45 mins to roam in the place. There is a room to draw how our future home will b like, color some art folding pieces, write a postcard to the artist n there was a room with very attractive walls (there was a forest tree house which only kids below a metre can go up n Joann was given the treat tho she shld b over a 100cm tall oops) 

It was tough to get the kids out of that place n they enjoyed this colorful chips area near entrance n we finally ventured to this pl called 'who's in the woods' n we spent a lot of time inside creating colorful animals for them to then let go in the graphic wall. V interesting concept n the kids kept taking turns to do their art piece n this we really had to chase them off. 

We then explored the diff parts of the gallery to view the old Supreme Court, see how it was like (tho they din appreciate much) then was viewing the art pieces, that they enjoyed a little more coz some are really cool paintings that Joann wanted to snap pics of too.

It was no wonder why the hype about the opening of the gallery n we really see a lot of pple flocking to this place n glad we made it on not a so crowded day (guess could b worse on a wkday!)

A day trip to JB....by bus

Before daddy n mummy ever dared to drive into Msia, we used to bus in to eat n shop there n tdy we tried this route with ah Mu n dayi. We nv tried bus in coz we Thot it might b too long walk for the kids n now that the kids are bigger, we did it!

Bus in was smooth in as we were early n we caught the smiling bus from Newton circus n brings us right to city sq. we ventured to the new mall beside n it was really fun just walking ard n eating n checking things out. We were eating n snacking most of the time. Lunch at Sakae, tea time at secret recipe n with auntie Anne's of course n dinner at nandos. We were spoilt for choice coz there were so much more to try like teppanyaki, tea garden, el amigo etc. well well it was endless feast n fun. By coming home took a little longer but we were so glad to hv made this rare trip was w dayi, who is so seasoned in giving us tips of how to get about. At the end of the day, Ian still preferred car tho we saw the car lane was badly jammed compared to bus, guess it's all the comfort that he's been spoilt for recent yrs when we have been frequently travelled in for shopping. This was a good chance for the kids to walk...

Ian's 1st music camp

The church did organize some music camp but Ian was either not keen or wasn't able to join. He was abit apprehensive initially but was keen aft mei2 said a bold yes n with joy jie2 attending. He was abit anxious yest morning n it was kindly dominated by the TA2 folks but was a lot better as the prog kicked in. Guess a lot of fun as he is older n better able to do the stuff as told (as compared to the Sunday Sch camp he attended when he was merely 3yo) he came back telling us what happened n what he learnt n enjoyed. He likes it so much he told us he wanna join in every music camp. We r so glad our boy has enjoyed himself thoroughly as we do know he has this love for music n certainly pray his love for music will cause him to want to make music for the Lord.

Ian's prize giving ceremony

It's Ian's 2nd prize giving ceremony n it's coz he's 3rd in class this yr. yes he maintained his 3rd position n so we had to head early to Sch to attend the ceremony n tdy we stayed thru the ceremony coz last yr we rushed off for Joann's orientation. This yr the ceremony coincided with the sch's 30th yr celebration. They invited Mr C Kunalan as guest of honor, Ian did vaguely told me he will b receiving award from guest of honor but din say the name clearly n we only realized it when we got the prog sheet coz he is the father of mama's friend. Yes what a delight to know he is there to grace the event n he will b unveiling the Olympic wall at the sch's indoor sports hall. So cool to b there at the event w someone we knew. N Ian even took his cert w him handing over. Pretty cool event as the kids did skit over how the Sch got to where they are tdy. Must say we enjoyed ourselves tho the event was long for Joann to take. The p6 graduation part was touching as they did montage flash back of the kids when they went thru the yrs in ZD, some of them teared, must hv been some wonderful yrs spent in the Sch. Well wonder if we ever get to attend this event ever but it was a touching one we attended this year n certainly encouraging Ian to continue the good works

Ian is 8 yrs n 8 mths old

Oh last mth forgot to update on his 'growth' well super busy mth of exams passed n this boy can't wait for hols to come. As u can see in the pic he's still enjoying fun like a real kid. He wore his sis' doraemon hat n it was kind of dejavu bringing him to the kindy's concert as just 2 yrs ago he was performing n it was Joann down the stage w us. Time has flew past n this yr he was having bf w us while mei2 was there prep for concert. 

N so fast he is ending his p2 yr n lots of memories to capture as he's changing class aft 2 yrs n recent wk he's busy preparing gifts for his closer friends n in class the teacher asked them to write autograph (yes our time was only when we were p6) n now they r writing roses are red, violets are blue poem still haha but wonder p6 write what kind of poem. 

He's just curious who will b in his new class n how his new teacher will b like. Exciting wk coming up with his final PTM w his teacher n he will get to see his new classmates. Exciting wk n mth coming up as its Sch hols n break fm Sch for 6 wks

Ian's 1st trophy!!!

He has been beaming with this wide smile when mama picked him up fm Sch. It's coz he received an award for Chinese handwriting. Did hear him say there is xie zi competition but din think he would stand a chance coz he was always saying his classmates wrote really nicely. N we do see at time his writing doesn't look neat as it shld b. Well the level award was given some time back n now the teacher has to choose 1 from the Chinese class n the teacher commended him for his writing. So he was totally surprised when he received the award but he's happy thru out tdy! He hugs the trophy wherever he goes! Guess this is his 1st treasured trophy as he said he was going to show his kids in future. Haha our little boy dreaming of his future huh. He shld b having his sweet dreams tonite!

Short JB getaway

Well uncle Ben asked our family together w Angs family for a getaway aft we r done w polls on the PH. Well we hardly go JB on PH coz knowing the uncertain waiting jam but agreed coz we hardly make such trips. And so morning was a super early visit to poll station tho Ian was reluctant for both mummy n daddy to go but it's the fastest way to get home n glad we did coz the crowd started coming in. So we r done like in 15 mins to zoom off to checkpoint. 

There was a queue already but still bearable n went in Bt indah to wait for the pngs n they were caught in bad jam, just a diff of 30 mins set off but they were stuck 3 hrs more than us! We were so so glad we qiong early. We bought stuff, kids went arcade n even had lunch b4 the pngs met us at nandos. 

Then aft shopping more we then headed to puteri hotel when the angs came but were caught in worse jam as they came by bus. Well think 1/2 of spore came into JB? Haha city sq was packed but we managed to eat at sushi king n most delighted kids to eat sushi.

Next day was to tebrau aeon n we got more stuff n had shabu2 lunch n got a grp shot! Guess it's rare we 3 families meet in JB for a meal n the kids really had lots of fun. Joann cliqued really well w jairus. It's maybe coz they sang in the church Sch presentation last wk but were holding hands most of the time. N uncle Eugene n jairus sat in our cars n had more fun till we reached spore! Well a short but fun n tiring shopping trip haha n uncle Ben wanted kids to shout 'Malaysia boleh' 

Ian is 8 n half yrs old

Yesterday, we celebrated Ian's half bday. Almost forgot abt it, we were walking to great world for lunch n aim was to order Joann's bday cake n it just suddenly came to mama that it's Ian's half bday n so got him the pandan Swiss roll. Well well happy look on the boy who can celebrate his half bday during his term break. 

The past mth has been busy w Sch n tests n all. He is just so glad to have a leisure wk which we started w much fun at Melaka n even coming home, he's happy to just go tb mkt for breakfast in the morning n another day to great world for lunch n he felt it was such a refreshing break. Yes, certainly for a foodie boy like him but that is the simple pleasures of life. Told him the next term is gonna pass real fast n he needs to b prep for the final lap. Hope sth gets into him haha but well isn't mama putting on too much on him as he is just enjoying the simple pleasures in life. Well well just enjoy a day at a time...

A short getaway

Melaka here we come again! This is a pl we love coz of the 'nearness' to home n the charm the town has for us. We left aft Ian's Sch on thur n traffic has never been so smooth. We made it within 3 hrs to the hotel! This time we decided to stay at the hatten coz wanted to shop! Haha... n the kids were thrilled with the room n the pool! Well dilemma to stay there or our fav puri which is for proximity to jonker. 

So thur we went for Korean food just opp the hotel n the kids were treated to good food! Then we went shopping n with such good exchange rate, we got some good buys. Next morning was yummy buffet spread at the hotel then it was pool fun. Nice morning b4 the crowd came in, saw lots of sporean check in thereaft.we caught shuttle to jonker aft our Millie crepe lunch n it was a nice session at jonker for batik painting as both kids loved it n wanted to do more! We shopped along jonker n went back when it started drizzling n more shopping at mahkota haha. Good time back aft a full day out

Next morning was pool fun again b4 we checked out to go for our usual jap lunch n then to mamee workshop which the kids enjoyed making their own mamee pack. This is Joann's 1st n she is totally thrilled w the dough, roll n cooking it. Well final walk down to local mkt b4 we headed home w all the memories we have of Melaka n tell u, we will b back again as the kids were asking for more nites stay there!

Maritime port trail we went today!!

Daddy's coy sent an invite to attend this maritime port trail organized by maritime port authority n felt was a good trail to find out more abt spore's port n so tdy we went. Well more attended by the marine arm of daddy's coy pple n we were the only ones w kids haha so guide was v nice to make sure our kids are fine.

Started at harbor front as it made a turn into keppel club to look at the coastal line n to show the straits, the dragon's tooth n the king's n queen's docks which we so often bring the kids to scooter head Labrador but din know all the insights abt it so tdy we learnt abt the port biz spore was in. Then it was a bus ride to see briani port, tg Pagar railway station n then we made our way to collyer quay, another pl we scooter there but din notice all the infrastructure, sculptures n even the bits of remains of the Clifford pier n heard stories of how things were like in the past b4 the river was cleaned up. Then visited the customs house (mc knew what it was for) n told us abt Fullerton n how it was post office (saw bits n corners of memories of the past at the building) n then off we went to marina south pier n taught abt the diff boats seen there n MPA has a gallery there n much explained compared to the time we visited there last year. It was a eye opener n informative trip we had this morning n coz we started at harbor front n ended at marina south pier we took public tpt tdy n it is so new to us coz we din know there was a direct bus to harbour front fm our pl n was fun to take bus/train as a family n kids had lots of fun running up down stairs. Was joking w Ian perhaps we shld try more n go wo a car! Hmm nice day out for such trail, wish they hv more but it's again in conjunction w SG50 so next one maybe daddy's coy port tour again?

But the kids had endlessly fun w the machine to try on diff maritime jobs uniform n it could b emailed to us so it was totally fun trip!

Wheels for GOOD

Well we heard abt this event in church n Thot we shld go since every sat am we are always on scout for parks for the kids to scooter n yes, we went this bishan-amk which we hardly go. The kids were excited abt the carnival as there were coupons of candy floss, popcorn, milo n ice cream! It sounds much fun n dayi came along w us which was a big surprise for both kids. 

We reached there w superb hot weather n kids dived straight into colouring under the scorching sun. Both kids were done really fast which was surprising for mummy who was queuing for the pop corn. N so mummy couldn't give any advice for colouring haha tho the auntie did prompt mummy to help Joann. 

So off we went to check out the goodies as Ian really wanted to hv candy floss n Joann wanted ice cream. We had all of them tho more coupons left coz we were given 8 sets of them but only 5 of us so just enjoy the fun n hot sun. Met pastor Yong Teck whom we just met last sun n the kids had great fun w his humor n so it was a must take pic coz the event is called wheels for GOOD as it's a cycling event but it's 50km so it started at 530am n by the time we got there, most hv completed the distance. GOOD stands for Get Out Of Debt, it's fund raising for the poor in spore to b really out of the 'debt' ie also outreach to them so rather meaningful event as we teach the kids abt caring for the least, the last n the lost. 

Well Thot there would b donations needed but ended up we were treated w more! Photo booth, magic show, all the goodies plus the bags, the fun n Joann even got a prize for colouring contest as she is in the 2-4yo category so we were caught by surprise as we were leaving the premise n had this persistent caller which mummy was thinking of missing it till the 3rd call came in n realized our little girl has got a prize. As each category only has a prize so it was HUGE surprise for us! Coz dayi n mummy were just exchanging how to motivate her to color n all this while mummy felt no need to push her to color what we think is right as its really her work n then this call came along haha. Our gungho girl din know what was really a prize n she walked up stage herself n then posed for a nice shot w pastor Daniel koh haha. V funny huge skate bag for a small girl like her. Just nice for her to put her skates as she us game to learn in line skating next yr. well for Ian he was good sport, really happy for his mei2 tho he din win n we saw the winning pieces, it's really good n covered the whole sheet of paper but Ian did it too fast as he saw mei2 done n couldn't wait to go off too haha n his category was 8-12yo so was tough too since winner was a much older girl but he's happy w his singa n we felt he did well too. We all went off feeling happy n wonder if Joann ever knows what she actually went up stage for haha n she won a whole bag of goodies n wanted to eat her fruitella sweets as they threw in 5 tubes of that! What a sweet sweet day for us!

Ian is 8 yrs n 5 mths old

Busy national day n forgot to update for Ian. Well this mth he sang a hokkien song fm psalm 103 for children's choir in church n since then he's been singing n humming it wherever he goes hmm wonder if he really know what the words mean. 

N that day while munching his Apple, his tooth came off n much blood n he only rem to tell mummy to take pic to show Joann (coz she was napping) see how much he rems to share w his mei2 but often not verbalise as they often fight n argue over things. Sigh sibling hood

N yes, busy wks we had over national day n guess his CA is coming up n busy with his revision for these few wks b4 we could take a break again. 

Kidstop jubilee fun 10 Aug 2015

Tdy was the 4th n last day of jubilee fun n coz mummy n Joann hv to go for Bsf in the morning, daddy n Ian get to have time together n aft bf, they headed to the science centre for the human body experience which we din get to go the last visit. It was a brief stop as Ian found it abit gruesome n felt there was inner parts smell haha. They went inter play n it was fun too. Then they went to get kidstop tics for 3pm but tdy was strictly by the number of pax there to collect tics n so they only got 2 tics.

Hmm had a tough time deciding who to go as felt it was more suited for Joann but it prob will b her nap time n Ian insisted on going as he likes the fun. So last resort Ian came up with was to 'beg' to go in haha n so told him to do it else he will hv to go with Joann. N so at the gate, the guy din allow more than 2 pax n v reluctantly Ian went to queue w Joann tho Joann kept assuring they could hold hands to climb up the huge maze. Hmm what a comforting Thot from the younger sis but Ian wasn't convinced haha. An auntie talked to mama abt tics n later the guy in charge said the lady has an extra tic for us! What a total surprise! So yes, we all 3 made our way in, a total unexpected God's provision n the 2 kids went the maze at once. Must say its not easy but Joann just kept on climbing  on by herself, mama got a few knocks haha. They really enjoyed the trampoline n were endlessly on it. Sigh then finally made their way down to the fun Ian went the other day with daddy. A totally secluded corner but tdy found out by more folks. Our first few moments were only us in the room so Joann even sung her 5 songs on stage, v cute as its as if she was on stage n Ian was doing the AV with effects n all. Another booth with different scenes behind n Joann wore wet suit n another was a jeep with different backgrounds n Joann chose dinosaur chasing them haha abit like Jurassic park. Then it was the Lego animation ie they build on Lego n take pic 1 at a time n then to make it into an animation show. V interesting corner n then we ventured back to main hall n was the maze climb again till abt closing time they tried more fun stuff. Guess they really enjoyed themselves. So glad it's a totally unexpected fun they had. Guess these few days had been too much jubilee fun n we are so glad we made it to all these attractions totally foc! Back to normal routine hmm

Happy jubilee 9 Aug

Yeah the day finally reached n it's the climax! Could hear the song 'home' early in the morning as it was playing at the CC near our home. Tdy we made an extra special trip out to church on public tpt haha thanks to free tpt tdy. Kids were excited as super deprived from taking bus n train. Reached church in red n white ready to worship God on such special day. 

We then took free tpt to marina south pier to catch the black knights since its its final appearance tdy n so glad we made it coz it was superb air show and with all the formation. We were in for a treat but proved to b too loud for Joann. 

We then travelled back for uncle Kenneth's bday lunch n yes the kids loved this uncle n very glad to celebrate it at Spizza. Lots of food n laughter filled the pl n we had a good time catching up. 

Next stop was a dessert stop at the popular llao llao Spanish yogurt pl. we were in for a treat w the sanum! Well then we checked out the area n stayed to watch the screening of parade at Capitol piazza, a cool pl where we used to catch movies in our younger days n we were treated to a lot of goodies (yes a lot of snacks, drinks, fans n even flags!) n could see the fly pass w super good view n minus the noise which was good for Joann. Headed home really high with SG 50 celeb. Kids must b tired aft a whole day out n smiling in their dreams. How many more SG celebs we could do it this fun together? Next SG 100 we might b too old to camp out like that w them haha happy birthday, Singapore!

Jubilee celeb 8 Aug

Tdy we unlocked another achievement to visit one of those foc attractions. A pl we Thot would b daunting wait for tics. We armed ourselves w patience haha but surprisingly we got to omni max q quite fast n got the earliest show tics to the show 'back to the moon for good'. Well the kids liked the wide screen feel n good to hv a lot of visual explanation abt all the space n think good for Ian to learn tho Joann was abit swarmed by it.

Good thing while waiting for the show to start we swung by the kidstop to collect tics for the kids mega play zone so Joann was totally immersed into the fun. She just hopped fm an activity to the next n what totally attracted her was the huge maze that said for 5yo n above n she relentlessly asked to go up so mummy had to go up n the climb was tough for her but she really went all the way up n treated by this whole array of music making instructions which made her really crazily playing esp the drum trampoline n she was so into it, mummy left her alone there so to get gor2 up but prior that, gor2 n daddy chanced upon a zone which was totally fun which Ian later related n says there were 150 animation n lots to do w Lego. Glad both kids has their fun to a pl we nv Thot we would go. So thumbs up again for this jubilee celeb n what shld we try next haha

Start of jubilee wkend 7 Aug 2015

Jubilee! How appropriate as a few wks ago we were learning abt this in our Bsf study of life of Moses on the bible's jubilee n last nite Ian was asking much coz yest was a lot of national day celeb in Sch n he knows it's jubilee wkend.

We kickstart the wkend w going to art science museum which Ian's teacher asked us to visit as they just ended with lessons abt underwater creatures n yeah we made it tdy foc n so so glad the doors were open early so we Thot of just going early to beat the crowd as the crowd was really daunting by the time we came out- all the way snake into mbs. But must say we truly enjoyed ourselves being really early coz not crowded n we could enjoy the exhibits for the animation works. Truly amazed at how much work needed to do a cartoon n yes we have watched a lot of the cartoons shown there haha din know we watched so many ever since we had kids as we din used to watch pre kids days hmm. Even a show which I din rem but Ian said it was Peabody n Sherman. Guess it's daddy's coy discovery ctr pass which we benefited. Anw truly awed by the drawings n so we had to buy the pics we took since entrance was foc. There wS a sneak show of 'how to train your dragon' which was really good as it was kind of 3D kind n the kids watched it twice. Yes, all coz there was not much crowd. The deep exhibit was abit of queue but still ok to check out the amazing deep sea truths n kids were just thrilled to see the fishes carcasses n we took quite a fair bit of pics too. 

Final was the sph ones n we roam quite awhile too to see how the papers have transformed till its form tdy! Well then the rain poured. Was good to go by po2's pl for usual family lunch while it thundered n poured. Wanted go sbg's picnic concert but guess might b muddy so we went aft sun was out a little but super crowded too. Stayed awhile for concert n went to national orchid garden n the kids went crazy snapping every orchid they saw haha but v cool weather to b there. Very glad we achieved much in a day, let's see what fun we go tmr!

We conquered the bird park

It's been a long while since we went bird park n Ian came with his Sch friends last term n we went tdy aft Joann n mummy finished Bsf n upon reaching there, Joann exclaimed 'Gor2 came here w mummy n daddy b4'. Haha coz the pics in our iPad are pics of our visit to bird park on Ian's 4th bday, that was b4 Joann was born n being a pic lover, she always ask y don't hv Joann in the picture haha which is why she concluded we came to this park wo her. Hmm how would we? So tdy took a lot of pics for her momento as we tried to recall we haven't been here for ages since we had her but we rem we came once with her as she took a nice pic at the lory loft but not feeding the lories but photographer just captured her on camera. We rem it looked nice but doesn't warrant us to pay so much for the pic haha. Tdy we marched to lory loft but the kids weren't daring enough to try (again!) tho we bought the feed so daddy did the job but our cute Joann was offered a cup by some tourists who din want to feed anymore so mummy took the chance but later on passed on to other tourists who wanted take some shots. Hard to finish the cup as there were too few lories so we went off b4 finishing the cup too as little girl is hungry!

Took a quick lunch n went ard the park n the kids were good tho weather was scorching. They had a crazy time at parrot paradise taking the parrot pillars haha n a fake trunk for them to climb up. Somehow Joann loves the parrots n so we went for 2 bird shows. The girl was tired but managed to finish the 2 shows n was super participative in the shows yeah shouting n waving at the birds. It's the age we can try visiting parks again. Yes we used to go so often when we had Ian only n was just reminiscing w Ian abt those good old days! 

So glad we made it tdy tho by the time we reached it was almost half day gone but we had a very good time n yes captured the corners of the parks which we did with Ian b4 n Joann shld b pleased she's in the pics tdy n she got to see lots of birds n now she knows birds aren't small, she saw the vultures, Hawks n Eagles n she went woah! Haha shld come more

Ian is 8 yrs n 4 mths old

Another mth passed with busy hols n Sch started. This mth, Ian learnt to do own blog n has been dying to update his 'activity' every day. Maybe shld let him update on himself here.

This is the mth w most scootering done, we have ventured beyond Parliament House n the incentive is ice cream treat at the end of it. He's still v foodie (from the pics chosen) he stayed over po2's pl n 'learnt' to fry keropok. He loves the baos fm Tim Ho wan n he loves slurpee fm 7-11 n often we give the treat only if they exercised enough. N yes, we had a few rounds of durians n he took a pic w a husk which we teased him to kneel on it if he does sth wrong. This mth there was an occasion both kids had to be disciplined n Joann chose the faster way to get beating while Ian chose to kneel. Which is why we came up w the idea of kneeling on durian husk haha. Well ally more squabbling in this hols mth n certainly hope Sch term they see lesser n appreciate each other more. For time being, Ian is good at cheering his sister when she doesn't want to wake up fm nap n he has his way to persuade her to get away. Well another busy mth ahead w assignments n tests n off days fm Sch 

Scooter to esplanade n back home

Yeah, tdy we left our car at home n decided we shld work out together n got to our route to ACM but daddy feels we shld stay on to see ndp fly pass n so we did. We made the kids scooter to esplanade where we saw loads of pple going to watch rehearsal at Padang n also a lot of pple on bridge waiting to capture shots of fly pass. 

While we went to the makan sutra gluttons bay, it's been eons since we came here n well it's still bustling w tourists. We came early n had a good bench n ordered food n we were all enjoying the good food. The kids then were stunned by the loud canon sound n it had to b 21 times hmm Joann finally got back to her dessert n all the fly pass came n the loudness of the jet planes made her wanted to go. It was abt time to head home as it was turning dark. Joann was still v energetic while Ian did complain abt being tired hmm wonder issit the diff between 2 wheels or 4 but anyway pushed him on. Ya so much that he couldn't take pic on the lighted bridge n finally made home in his scooter haha telling him abt stamina. Now he's totally flat w the 2 hrs of scootering haha. He doesn't want to scooter back there coz of distance n Joann doesn't like the plane sound. Will we b able to convince them to do it again? Feels good to exercise together b4 tucking into the good food!

A short getaway

One of those random trips we made as it's the last few days of Sch hols n wanted some getaway so we made a very last min decision to go puteri stay AGAIN! It was just a couple of mths ago we stayed over (it was mar hols n just b4 daddy was going for biz stay) 

This time, it's v different coz the kids totally din know we made this plan as yest morning Ian woke up seeing mama shifting his luggage n he asked if we were going for hotel stay n coz he knew we were going for movie (just dunno where), he then whispered into Joann's ears who was still sleeping but her reaction was prized- she then woke up immediately but couldn't quite open her eyes yet, sat up n clapped! Yes, this is how much our kids loved hotel stay! Off we went n they were surprised to have a guest coming w us! Yes it was dayi! Planned to have a day out w her but she will come back for fri family dinner. The kids loved to have her n they had endless conversations w her, yeah 1 more adult to answer their endless questions! 

We had a yummy bf, zoomed into tesco to grab our stuff so to catch the 11am minions movie. Had loads of pop corn n Joann zonked off half way coz woke up too early but good she did that so we went for lunch aft she woke up. The kids requested for nandos n had a good meal there, quiet place. We then went off to check us into the hotel. It was quite funny for kids to insist dayi to come visit our room n had a game on iPad (as if really to host a guest) we then walked over to city sq n bade farewell to dayi who was making her way back to sg. A good day out w dayi n hope she enjoyed as much haha

We then went ard to shop n to fulfil our arcade mission - to use up the credits as it's not usable at other arcades n refund the card. The kids had endless fun n Ian got 'hooked' on racing cars, he played at least thrice. Well then we adjourned to meldrum walk! We haven't been back here w the kids, it's a good street mama n daddy used to come n enjoy street food even b4 we got married n yesterday we finally did it in bringing the 2 kids along! Told them we can't find such food street anywhere else except in msia. Well Ian loved the variety, we had chic rice, Popiah, fried Kway teow, porridge, fried oyster n even Dabao bbq chic wings b baosss coz it's a must to take w their super huge bao! We have done it a couple of times on Melaka n this time must take wefie shot too! Ya it was such a satisfying nite haha. Think we over ate so it was good we din have hotel bf next morning. Need to rest our tummy as next day we head to bukit indah n did our lady round of shopping, eating n arcade fun! It was such a short but fun trip, Joann asked to return to this hotel again hmm but then again she loves every hotel. We bought some durians home n for our very sua ku kids who hardly eat durian fm the husks, they took more shots w the husk n they drank n washed their hands w water from the husk. It was a good getaway fun we had. Here we go, 2nd half of the year! Cheers to more fun....

Our 1st RC outing

We have never participated in any of our RC event as it's usually either very late on wkends (those festive block party) or either it's on wkends. So this only event caught our eyes as it was a visit to the gardenia factory n it's during Sch hols on a wkday. 

But it was tougher than we could imagine to secure the tics.  We went to purchase tics on the 1st evening n it was the nite daddy worked late so mama brought both kids downstairs to get 6 tics but it was the last 5, some pple came along n rc guy said might hv a 2nd bus. Did procrastinate whether to bring Joann as it was her nap time. The rc guy din call back abt the 2nd bus n so decided not to bring Joann. But wasn't sure if we could lve her w po2 as she has been going out w us this hols n besides she hasn't been napping at po2's pl for some time. Took a while to leave her there but glad had dayi there w her.

The tour was kind of informative of what we have been eating almost daily. Yes, a fan of gardenia we were introduced to more variety, there is country loaf n focaccia bread which we don't quite see. We saw the bread process n it's quite cool to see the 16 steps involved n din think it takes so long that make bread n kids were introduced to the steps involved n even sampled the bread w spread for refreshments. Kind of good for the kids of their age to know n were treated to their choc n strawberry buns as a goodie bag for the visit to factory b Ian had both for bf tdy! So yummy huh n well the vending machine to buy bread is cheaper n we got our fav corn loaf home! Our 1st rc event and must say it's quite a pleasant one, will attend more such informative ones if they come up w more!

It's such a happy day

An unexpected ride up to Pasir Ris for the kids as they knew it was Paul's bday but dunno where it was. They couldn't wait but told them it was noon n so we had to while our morning away. We had them scooter to look for the stable but it was under works n so it was park fun. They scootered back where we started n explored the various parts. Ian loved the wobbly bridge which Joann was screaming she couldn't do it. Ian had a few many rides on swings n after much refusal fm us to push him for the swing, he finally learnt how to play the swing. It was a hot time under the sun but the kids loved it.

It was time to head to the bday party n aft much time, Ian was bored at the place at 1st n finally lunged into the bouncy castle too haha. A little too tiny for him but he had some good fun w bday boy n his sis b4 the crowd came. At least he did go up to take pics w all the kids as he did feel he was too 'old' haha hmm us 4 yrs a big gap, he felt rather childish. But left happily w a goodie bag too!

Evening was a time spent w daddy's friends n din have much chance to talk to kids of his age n so he tagged w mei2 n friends haha. He had the playground fun w the younger ones but he enjoyed himself thoroughly too. It's been a long while we met these friends n they rem Ian as they saw Ian in his toddler days, that was the time they all got married n we lugged him along. Time flies, now the kids are so big n running ard on their own. Wonder if the next meet up is soon. Ian went to bed feeling happy too but he  says its a tiring day, time to rest his body n tired legs