Growing Years - Alicia, Brandon and Caden

Ikea for dinner

2011-09-19T09:56:00.003+08:00

On another day, I brought them to Ikea Tampines. Cousins Shermaine and Denise also joined us. The kids wanted to play at the playground but the waiting time was more than an hour! We waited and waited... but gave up in the end after almost an hour's wait.

Once we reached there, the kids wanted hotdog for snack.

After the wait, we went for dinner at the restaurant. They slurped everything... As if not enuf, they asked for ice-cream after that!

Playground

2011-09-19T09:48:00.004+08:00

Daddy's working now so Mummy din bring the kids too far during the school hols. On one of the days, I brought them to the nearby playground. See how happy they were...

Teacher's Day 2011

2011-09-19T09:41:00.002+08:00

The kids celebrated Teacher's Day on 1 Sep. This year, MOE changed Teacher's Day from 1 Sep to the 1st Friday of September. Again, it was a headache thinking of what to get for the teachers. In the end, Mummy drew these and got the kids to color them, framed on Ikea frames for the teachers. Also got some rock candies too. A big thanks to the teachers!

Out came the 1st tooth

2011-09-13T10:18:00.002+08:00

Finally, after almost 3 months of waiting, Alicia dropped her 1st milk tooth at 6 yrs 5 mths 2 wks and 3 days old. She was brushing her teeth in the morning when she went calling, "Mummy, mummy.. come out already!!" After she rinsed off the blood, she said, "Aiya.. not pain one what." : )

2 weeks later, the 2nd tooth came off. This time, it was while we were on our way home in the car from her gym class.

She's lucky that there's no sign of bo-geh cos her 2 new teeth grew before the milk tooth dropped.

Doing homework

2011-09-13T10:13:00.002+08:00

Caden loves doing homework... at least for now. Not that he has from school, but he will always bring out the books and stationery and start writing n coloring. He'll repeat this for many times in the day. He wants to do it on his own and doesn't like it when I sit down beside him to guide him.

Look at these 2 pcs of work which he did.

1. I was wondering what he was doing with Alicia's maths book. Was puzzled when I saw the answer and only realised later that he was following the serial number!

2. He wrote nos. 1-10 and A-Z on his own. Look at how he wrote his M. So funny looking...

Specs for Brandon

2011-09-13T10:09:00.002+08:00

Upon the referral of his school, Mummy brought Brandon to Health Promotion Board to check his eyes. He has been diagnosed with astigmatism of 180 n 200. Sigh... gotta wear specs to let him see better when looking far. We brought him to J8 to prescribe a pair of specs. After going to 3 shops, he still preferred this pair from Shop 1. Nice??

Nerf

2011-09-13T10:06:00.001+08:00

Look at my Nerf boys. They love playing Nerf with Daddy...

Swim & Gym classes updates

2011-09-13T09:59:00.002+08:00

Both Alicia & Brandon have been promoted from Beginners level to Level 2 for their gymnastics class. Congrats to them!!!

As for their swimming, they've managed to grasp the breast stroke and are now learning free style. Mummy has always thought that Brandon would do better in swimming compared to Alicia as she's afraid of water since young. However, she has gone far and exceeded our expectations. She loves the water and can swim at the deep pool without the float anymore. Well done, Alicia! As for Brandon, maybe it's cos of his playful nature, he's still struggling without the float - his strokes go haywire whenever he's nervous!

Once in a while, Caden will follow along...

Singapore Art Museum

2011-08-31T10:16:00.005+08:00

Brought the kids to Singapore Art Museum, on Hari Raya Puasa holiday cos it's free admission. Have been wanting to bring them there cos of the Children's Art Garden... finally made it! It being free, there were many children. : ( But I'm glad that other than looking at the exhibits, the kids got to play some of them.

Er-gu's Birthday

2011-08-31T10:12:00.002+08:00

We also celebrated Er-gu's birthday in August. It happened to be Ah Ma's Lunar birthday on that day.

Excursion to Gardenasia

2011-08-31T09:47:00.004+08:00

The kids' school organised a field trip to a mushroom farm and Gardenasia at Kranji. This is the 1st time that our family went together on a school organised trip. We took the same bus instead of separating them according to their classes.

Waiting in school for the bus

Gardenasia, an eco-garden. An interesting place as kids get to interact with the plants.

Best of all, they get to pot a plant on their own!

Last visit to USS

2011-08-31T09:43:00.002+08:00

Daddy & Mummy made a trip to USS on the last day of our annual pass. The main purpose was for us to play the Rapid Adventures at the Jurassic Park. It was a 2-hr wait, jus nice for our lunch to settle in. Altho we put on the poncho, we were all drenched! Daddy took the Battelstar Galactica ride for the last time too.

99's 62nd Birthday

2011-08-31T09:38:00.003+08:00

We celebrated 99's 62nd birthday in August. As Da-yi, small-yi and Cousin Val were all not free on the actual day, we brought her for dinner at Imperial Treasure before getting a small cake to celebrate for her at home.

Another celebration with everyone at home on Sunday.

USS with 99

2011-08-26T10:06:00.004+08:00

After so long, 99 decided to follow us to USS. She's always afraid of the hot sun... We din really take many photos cos we wanted to make sure we bring 99 and the kids to most of the places since this would be their last, before the annual pass expires.

Hmm... not a very good idea for her to tag along cos Caden kept wanting her to carry!

Weekly USS 2

2011-08-25T10:29:00.005+08:00

Weekly visit no. 2 - Caden took the mini roller coaster ride for the 1st time. Brave leh! Daddy took jie-jie for the ride, twice. Then, while watching them, Caden suddenly told me he also wanted to try. So, Daddy took him, with jie-jie. Mummy was afraid that he'd cry. Who knows... he wanted to ride a 2nd time! Alicia took the ride alone when Daddy sat with Caden. She even raised her arms! Brave girl... much better than Mummy.

Weekly USS visits

2011-08-25T10:19:00.003+08:00

Before our annual USS Fun Pass expires, we made weekly visits. This was one... ended with a visit to Vivocity for waterplay.

National Day Celebration in School

2011-08-25T10:17:00.001+08:00

The kids celebrated National Day in school and here's their National colors outfit!

Play again at NEX

2011-08-25T10:13:00.002+08:00

Alicia insisted that we bring her to NEX playground as she missed out on our earlier visit. So...

National Day Parade 2011

2011-08-25T10:05:00.003+08:00

Da-yi got us 2 tickets to the NDP rehearsal and Mummy decided Alicia should go this year. The NDP was at the floating platform this year. Daddy dropped us at Marina Square and we snacked at MacDonald's before walking to the platform.

We got ourselves a good seat. Mus say that this year's performance is the best so far. We enjoyed every moment of it.

Ikea Playground

2011-08-25T09:56:00.002+08:00

Brought the kids to Ikea Tampines. Caden refused to join Alicia & Brandon at the playground. Hence, he followed us shopping around. Wah... after one hour of play, the kids were so hungry that they ate so much!

Look at how they enjoyed their food!
It wasn't before long when we visited Ikea again and Caden was so excited over the playground. His first time!!! Daddy & Mummy shopped peacefully too.

Swimming at One Amber

2011-08-25T09:50:00.002+08:00

Auntie Beng Hiong invited us over to her place to play with Huilin and so, we headed there for a swim! The kids enjoyed themselves very much, esp Brandon who kept playing with the float! Thanks, Auntie Beng Hiong!!!

Nex Playground

2011-08-25T09:38:00.002+08:00

Alicia stayed over at 99's place during the Jun hols. Before we went to fetch her, we brought the boys to NEX for breakfast and water play...

They met Alicia's classmate, Isaac.

Sangokuden

2011-07-20T00:21:00.003+08:00

We had dinner at Marmalade Pantry at Ion Orchard before heading to Takashimaya for Sangokuden's Meet & Greet.

There was a short interaction session before the characters made their appearance. My kids had always been shy to participate. But, after much pushing from us, Alicia raised her hands during one of the Q&A session. Too bad she got the answer wrong cos we're all not familiar with the show! She was so embarrased that she cried under Daddy's wrapped arms. Then, dunno where Brandon got the courage from, he also raised his hands to answer another question. Luckily, he got it rite and was given a small token. Phew!! Alicia was later hand-picked to play tic-tac-toe on the stage but she was too shy to go up. Only after the whole session did she regret cos she knew that she could do it. Too bad... However, we're happy that both Alicia & Brandon started to participate in such games.

Father's Day Celebration

2011-07-20T00:04:00.004+08:00

Brought the kids for a haircut before celebrating Father's Day with Daddy at Swensens.

Bob The Builder

2011-07-19T23:57:00.002+08:00

Mummy saw the courtyard play area by Robinsons at Raffles City when I went for lunch with my frens. Hence, mus bring my kids there to play!!! So, when we decided to bring them to Millenia Walk for Bob The Builder Meet & Greet, we popped by RC for an hour.

Look at how much fun they had?!? So many vehicles to play with. We brought their Hot Wheels car along to play and guess what? Daddy bought more!!!

The so-so Bob The Builder show. Crowd was pathetic.

Track for cars

2011-07-19T23:55:00.002+08:00

Daddy bought new tracks for the kids so that they could play with the Hot Wheels cars he bought earlier. They had fun competing against each other - whose car can go the fastest and furthest?

Bouncing at T3

2011-07-19T23:37:00.002+08:00

We brought Cousin Sharlyn with the kids to T3 to play. They went bouncing again and again and again. Too bad the Slide was under upgrading. Else they would have enjoyed themselves even more. Yi-po called to say that Sharlyn slept especially early that nite - must hv been too tired cos of all those jumping and running. Am glad the kids enjoyed themselves. : )

Stitch Snacktivities!

2011-07-19T10:16:00.004+08:00

Er... sorry for the late updates to the blog.

During the June hols, we brought the kids to Parkway Parade for the Stitch Scrumptious Snactivities. Had to hv 3 receipts of min of $50 spending cos all 3 wanted to have fun. They played some games, did origami and cake n box decoration.

Zoolympics At Singapore Zoo

2011-06-16T00:40:00.004+08:00

School hols mus try to go Zoo cos sure got activities, rite? So, we headed there for Zoolympics!

Posing at the entrance

We registered the 3 kids for the games. $2 each.
Game Station 1 - dig out for animals.. Caden skipped cos he din dare to.

Rushed to the giraffe for feeding. Only Brandon dared to do it.

Game Station 2 - water gun. They can't get enuf of it!!!

It started to drizzle when we made our way to Kidzworld. It poured, so kids couldn't play. We snacked while waiting for the rain to stop.

Thunderstorm! So, we dressed them up in raincoats before making our way back.

Who knows! The rain suddenly became smaller. Kids started making way to the water play area. Daddy jus couldn't refuse them anymore. So, we joined in the fun.

They had to put on the raincoats back again after playing cos it was still drizzling.

While walking back...

Decided to end the trip earlier cos weather was gloomy.

Transformers!

2011-06-16T00:31:00.002+08:00

This is for Brandon - Transformers @ Takashimaya. My kids r all so timid. They din dare to raise their hands when asked to go on stage to play games. During Q&A, Brandon could answer the first few questions asked but he din dare to raise his hand too. When it came to the last question, I was surprised when he raised his hand high up. But.... o dear!!! He din know the answer!!! Mummy dunno too!!! Ooops! Wahaha.... but I gave him 100 marks for his courage!

They were so happy playing at the Hot Wheels tracks when Daddy bot them 2 cars each.

Sangokuden - I think Daddy likes this. Would we b back for their Meet & Greet??

Musical Barney

2011-06-16T00:08:00.002+08:00

It's June hols - means it's time for us to mall hop for the kids' fav cartoon characters meet & greet. We had to delay our "job" this time as Alicia was sick. Am glad we made it to watch one of Caden's fav - Barney @ Marina Square.

We went there earlier so that we could get in the queue for the photo pass. Kids went to play at the playground before going for dinner.

Caden was very happy!!! When it ended (yes, very short...) he kept asking me, "Huh? So fast??"
Sigh... the photo was not well taken by the crew. I should have insisted on taking it myself!!

USS - Madagascar Crate Adventure

2011-06-15T23:31:00.003+08:00

Hee... we went to USS again. This time, it was for the kids to try out the new attraction - Madagascar's Crate Adventure.

On the way there...

The happy faces
Caden's fave - Madagascar dance, photo-taking & carousel ride

The crate adventure - we went for 2 rounds. First round, queued for almost an hour!! Second round, only for 5 mins!! The crew tipped us that there's no queue after 2pm.

The air-con were down. Restaurants were all so crowded cos 1 was closed. We snacked on churros before heading to Vivocity for late lunch. Brandon was very cute. He told Daddy, "I see the roller-coaster, I wanna vomit ah!"
Caden made Mummy "chase" for Woody Woodpecker and he loves this shot!

Air Force Open House

2011-06-15T22:57:00.003+08:00

We went to the Air Force Open House in end May. We were so excited cos we've waited for a long time. We've been to Navy and now Air Force Open House. Looking forward to Army Open House - Brandon would be super-duper pleased.

We drove there and parked at the VIP lot - Da-yi's worksite which was jus directly opposite the air base.

On our way in... So crowded!

Few of the exhibits.
We queued to go into this...

The kids were so excited touching this n that n pretending to fly...

The kids' zone - even Daddy played the games

Watching the aerial display n hving ice-cream at the same time. Er... it was a disappointment cos so few n short.

Inflatable at the kids' zone

Singapore Food Trail

2011-06-12T23:39:00.004+08:00

We went to the Singapore Flyer's Food Trail one weekend. Hmm... the food there was disappointing. Given the price, I'd expected real authentic or tasty local food. The weather was so hot that we headed to Raffles City for air-con after the dinner & short walk.

Happy faces waiting for food - check out Caden's old-version high chair

The moment Daddy has been waiting for - ice-ball. Look at his satisfied smile!
Was surprised kids knew how to play the hop-scotch. Brandon asked me for a coin to play.
They meddled around with the very old stuff.

Nice scenery around the area

Brandon hurt his cheek

2011-06-12T23:23:00.002+08:00

Brandon was jumping around the house when he accidentally fell and hurt his cheek. See the blue-black? While I was trying to take a photo, Caden was trying to be cheeky in the background. They're also into meditation... for less than 1 minute each time!

Singapore Botanic Gardens

2011-06-12T23:01:00.002+08:00

We went to Singapore Botanic Gardens to watch the Xin Yao performance. The performance itself was a disappointment but the kids enjoyed themselves...

Getting ready for a ball game!!

Who's the Monkey!!

They played so much that they perspired profusely! Brandon & Caden's shirts were wet! As Mummy passed the towel I brought to a couple earlier (see story below), I could only remove their shirts for them to dry. See gor-gor fanning di-di while enjoying our picnic. Then, there's the 2 boys in the pic. My kids were playing iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab. An interested boy sitting nearby came to peep. We invited him to sit down, and he asked if he could play. Er... ok lor. Share share. But, once he started, his gor-gor came over too. And they refused to let my kids take turns to play! Er-gu was thankful that she didn't charge her phone earlier as the kids stopped only when the battery went flat!

Story: On our way walking to the amphitheatre, we saw a Dad pulling his 2-3 year old son's legs out from one of the planters outside the restaurant. Din know that the water was so deep! It happened jus right it front of me and I was in shock! My kids saw too and they were stunned. Seeing the Dad frantically digging for something to dry his son, I took out a towel from my bag and passed it to the expectant mum. Lesson learnt: Never let ur kids go near planters or even small ponds. You never know how deep the water can be!!!

Sick... very sick

2011-06-12T22:47:00.002+08:00

Alicia fell sick twice in the month of May & June. First, she started with fever, followed by flu. We brought her to the doctor as self-medication didn't help. The nurse commened that she's not seen me for a long time in months. Choy! choy! choy!! She recovered quick enough. This was followed by Caden, who had cough & runny nose & ear infection. Again, Mummy brought him to Dr Ong's clinic. The nurse commented again.. when it starts, there's always a repeat. Sigh... My boy recovered very fast too.

But, the nightmare came a week later. Alicia started running very high fever. Initially, I put it off as teething (cos babies get fever when they are teething!!). But, when it came with diarrhoea for more than 10x a day, something mus be wrong somewhere. It was heartache seeing her running to the toilet so many times. She also lost her appetite - everything tasted awful to her. Mummy brought her to Dr Ong and she was diagnosed with intestinal infection. Continued medication but it didn't seem to cure her. Went to Dr Ong a 2nd time and did a stool test. He prescribed anti-biotics for her. Thank god the bacteria test was negative and she recovered after a few days. She lost 1.2kg!!!

This girl is helping herself to the food these days... Daddy said she'll gain back that kg in no time. : )

Brandon had to attend the gym & swim class alone.

Indulgence

2011-06-12T22:26:00.004+08:00

For the past one month, we've been indulging the kids in ice-cream and yoghurt. O... sinful.

Er-gu brot Caden to McDonald's

Mummy gave the kids a treat when Brandon did well for his phonics assessment.
Can't remember this... but seems like Caden followed Daddy & Mummy to J8 while waiting for jie-jie & gor-gor's gym class to end.

Another treat from Er-gu @ Udders. Still remember Alicia 'saving her stomach for dessert' when we were having dinner at Sushi Teh before this.

At LICK (Little Ice-Cream Kafe) at Katong after our dinner with 99, Da-yi & Val at Cocina, the Spanish restaurant.

Swensens after watching Kungfu Panda 2 @ NEX

Tooth Fairy Visits

2011-06-12T22:09:00.004+08:00

Alicia told Daddy that there's something growing inside her mouth. We suspected it was ulcer as it didn't come across that her adult tooth will grow even before her milk tooth goes. When we explained to her that a new tooth has grown, she said that the tooth fairy visited her. She claimed that she read somewhere that when her tooth drops, she'll have to keep it in a pouch. The tooth fairy will sprinkle some fairy dust and change it into a gold coin. : )

Can see the 2 adult teeth - reflection in the mirror?

We brought her to a dental clinic on Friday, 10 Jun. It was her first visit to the dentist. We could tell that she's very nervous. The dental therapist praised her for having kept her teeth clean. A check showed that her bottom 4 front teeth are slightly loose. Hence, instead of pulling out the 2 milk teeth to make way for the 2 new adult teeth, we shall keep them there for abit more time till they come out by themselves. Phew!

Playing with the toys while waiting for her turn

The magic dentist chair & shades did wonders...

Hong Kong Disneyland 2011

2011-05-12T00:56:00.000+08:00

5-8 May: We brought the kids for a short holiday in Hong Kong again. Daddy & Alicia took the earliest flight while Mummy & Er-gu took the A380 flight with the boys.

Happy & excited boys Disneyland Hotel - where we stayed for the 4 days.

Disneyland, here we come!!!
Tomorrowland: Toy Story station - blasters!

Love this - they hv people walking around with frames for photo-taking
Flying on the spaceship

We were outside the Space Mountain - roller coaster. Within minutes, Daddy & Brandon were gone. Guessed that they must hv gone for the ride. We waited and saw Brandon came out crying!!! He said he din expect it to be so dark and fast. Scary!!!
The Castle
Candy floss

We din queue up at Fantasy Gardens to take photos with Mickey & Friends & Pooh & Friends this round. Instead, took photos with whichever characters we met up with.

Day 2: Breakfast at Enchanted Garden. The highlight was the meeting of the characters.
Outside the ballroom for the Princess makeover. Had wanted to let Alicia try but she was too shy to do it. So, no beautiful princess photos...

We headed to Disneyland again after our breakfast!

Adventureland: Jungle Cruise and the Tarzan's Treehouse. We also managed to catch the Lion King musical which we missed during our last 2 visits.
Lunch at Plaza Inn

Stroller we rented - had to get 2 cos they dun hv the 2 seater like the USS.
While Mummy was shopping for clothes (cos I dirtied my top), Er-gu took photos for them in the store.

Pooh Bear adventure

Watching the parade - the kids love this very much

Er-gu bought ice-cream for the kids to cool down. Caden insisted on having 1 on his own. When Daddy & Mummy refused to let him hold 1, he pestered Er-gu to buy for her. Check out his happy face!
Cinderella's Carousel

More pix with characters doing their walkabouts
Car ride

Of course, we also watched the Golden Mickeys, It's a Small World, Tinkerbell's light-up and Fireworks.

We headed to Citygate for dinner. Pictures taken during the train ride back to the resort.

Day 3 - caught the princesses making an appearance at the hotel lobby before we left for shopping at TST.

Train to TST
Back at hotel for dinner at Crystal Lotus restaurant. Too overly rated. Kids played at Prince Eric Activities Room and listened to bedtime stories before we went to our room.

Day 4 - swimming time! Love the bath robes for the kids.

Left for Citygate for lunch and shopping again before returning to the hotel for more games.

Had dinner at the airport and some last minute shopping. By the time we reached Singapore, it was midnite. We took a maxi cab home and by the time we settled for bed, we're all dead tired.

Jacob Ballas Children's Playground

2011-05-11T23:55:00.005+08:00

2 May, Mon (PH): The weather looked gloomy but we still went ahead as planned to bring the kids to Jacob Ballas Children's Playground at Singapore Botanical Gardens.

We went to the nearby Queenstown MacDonald's for lunch.

Excursions

2011-05-11T23:27:00.005+08:00

29 Apr, Fri: The kids went on excursions with the school. Alicia & Brandon went to the zoo, while Mummy followed Caden to Underwater World & Dolphin Lagoon, Sentosa.

Excited kids

Took this pic while waiting in his class

Bus ride to Sentosa

Looking at the big turtles

Group photo

Inside Underwater World
Heading to Dolphin Lagoon

It was hot!!! But he enjoyed himself very much. He was very close to the dolphins - dunno y the staff chased the others away except him leh...

USS Trip on Brandon's birthday

2011-05-11T22:56:00.006+08:00

28 Apr, Thur: As promised, we brought the kids to USS on Brandon's birthday. Had initially wanted the kids to skip school but since they din want to, we went straight after school. Brandon din want to have a celebration in school, cos he wanted Daddy to use the $ saved to buy him another present.

On the way to USS, with his new toy - Ben 10's Rath

Lunch at Earl Swensens, Vivocity

We played more this time... Mummy took fewer photos. : (

Brandon was very brave. We tried the Canopy Flyer at the Lost World for the 1st time, and he took the ride on his own cos Daddy sat with Alicia and Mummy with Caden. Altho afraid, he din cry nor nudge at all. He took the roller coaster ride with Daddy again.

Daddy wanted to try the Galactica rides. Hence, Mummy brought the kids to watch the Monster Rock. Caden fell asleep in the air-con theatre. Minutes into the show, the kids din like. When I woke Caden up, he told me he wanted to watch the show cos it was very nice. Did he even watch? Wahaha!!!

We went to look for Daddy. While below Galactica, I told the kids Daddy was somewhere around. Caden said, "Yah yah!! I can hear Daddy's voice. He's screaming now!" Jus then, we saw Daddy walking towards us. Hilarious!

No matter how Daddy psycho him, Brandon refused to take the ride.

On our way out...
Past the Candylicious store when we headed to Baits (Ding Tai Fung) for dinner.

When we were almost done with dinner, Daddy brought Brandon to put-put. Den, Caden too wanted to put-put. Mummy left Alicia alone at the restaurant after informing the staff. By the time we got back, Daddy told me Brandon took another 3 more xiao-long-tang-bao!!! (BTW, Alicia had already put-put after lunch at Vivo!) It was a put-put day lah!!! : )

We stayed to watch the Crane dance at the waterfront before heading home. By the time they reached home, all were tired out. But, am glad they enjoyed themselves, once again.

Another round of birthday celebration

2011-05-11T22:49:00.002+08:00

27 Apr, Wed: Brandon requested to have Sushi Teh for dinner. So, we celebrated his birthday with an ice-cream instead of a cake.

Cousin Val's 18th Birthday

2011-05-04T10:34:00.003+08:00

Valarie jie-jie reminded Mummy me to post this - her birthday celebration! We had dinner at Seafood International at Big Splash, followed by a cake from NYDC. Happy 18th birthday!!!

Brandon's turning 5!!!

2011-04-26T00:46:00.006+08:00

Time flies... My Brandon is turning 5 in a few days time. He's been waiting for the day to come ever since Alicia's birthday in early March. We celebrated his birthday in advance over the weekend.

After dinner on Saturday, we celebrated at home. Got a Swensen's ice-cream cake for him.

Dunno who's the birthday boy... Caden tried to squeeze into the pix too.
Siblings
There... Caden again.
Birthday boy

Round 2 of the celebration was at 99's house on Sunday. We bought a Bakerzin cake for him.

Look at the boy trying to steal the show again..

Happy Birthday, Brandon!!!

Bishan Park and McRitchie Reservoir

2011-04-26T00:42:00.005+08:00

We wanted to cycle at Bishan Park on Saturday morning. But, were disappointed with the range of bikes offered for rental. Changed our minds and left for McRitchie Reservoir instead. Took a short stroll and left quickly to J8 for lunch as it started to drizzle. Shall try the bridge next time.

At Bishan Park

At McRitchie Reservoir

Afternoon at Swissotel The Stamford

2011-04-26T00:34:00.004+08:00

Valarie jie-jie booked 2 nites' stay at the Swissotel The Stamford to celebrate her birthday with her friends. Mummy checked-in on Friday and brought the kids along to enjoy the facilities before she came in the evening. It was so great to nua in the room.

Happy faces nua-ing in the Grand Room
One balcony has the harbour view - MBS n Singapore Flyer

The other balcony has the pool view

Kids soaked in the bath-tub after a swim in the pool
Daddy joined them... and Mummy too!! That's how big the tub was.

Busy Wednesdays

2011-04-26T00:30:00.006+08:00

Wednesdays are busy as it is. Mummy will go for volunteer work at the primary school after sending the kids to school. Brandon has his phonics class in the afternoon and Alicia's in the evening. It's even more busy now... cos both Alicia & Caden have their music class in the afternoon too! Oh dear... hope we can cope with the schedule.

Caden having lunch (round 2) with Daddy & Mummy before his music class

McDonald's at Bishan Park

2011-04-26T00:28:00.003+08:00

We dropped by the newly opened McDonald's at Bishan Park after the kids' gym class. They didn't miss the chance to make Daddy get them an ice-cream cone!

New haircut

2011-04-26T00:25:00.001+08:00

The kids went for a haircut last week.

Playgrounds

2011-04-26T00:13:00.006+08:00

We've been bringing the kids around to the playgrounds near our place recently. Some photos taken...

Painting

2011-04-26T00:02:00.005+08:00

The kids have been bugging me to let them play with poster colors. So, when the weather wasn't so hot the other day, I let them play at the backyard.

Airport T3

2011-04-25T23:52:00.004+08:00

Cousin Denise jie-jie had the opportunity to go Beijing for one week as part of her school learning. We sent her off at the airport in the afternoon. Kids skipped their nap and got to have their afternoon tea at Earle Swensens and play at the playground.

Caden was very happy cos he could play at the Slide. It was his first try - as he's shorter than the minimum height requirement. There wasn't any staff there so Mummy took the 1st ride with him. He couldn't stop after that... Even Daddy, Mummy & Er-gu played.

Tutu skirt

2011-04-13T23:20:00.003+08:00

Mummy let Alicia put on her tutu when we went gai-gai the other day. She removed it when she reached home. And the next thing I knew, Caden had put it on!!! He refused to remove it and even allowed me to take photos for him. Good thing it was only for those few minutes...

Time for Haircut

2011-04-13T23:15:00.004+08:00

When I see the kids wake up from their nap with such a hairstyle, it tells me that it's time for a haircut. Wahaha!!! We laughed so much that day - chicken head!

East Coast Park

2011-04-13T22:47:00.006+08:00

Mummy was deciding between bringing the kids to East Coast Park or Jacob Ballas Garden 2 weekends ago. Chose the beach cos kids wanted to cycle and play sandcastle. Who knows... when we were about to leave home after their afternoon nap, the sky turned dark. Very dark. We din bring the bicycles but brought the sandcastle toys along. Too bad... it started to drizzle when we reached.

After a short stroll, we headed for dinner at Long Beach restaurant. Popped over to New Zealand ice-cream for dessert after that.

Brandon was so excited to see the sea...

Alicia & Caden din dare to walk on the beach - afraid of the sand.

Xiao-gu quickly grabbed Brandon and played with water. Den they came back to me asking, "Did u bring extra clothes? He's wet!!" Luckily I did.

Xiao-gu grabbed Alicia too but she jus refused to put her feet down. That made Xiao-gu breathless from carrying her!! Brandon walking back to play with water on his own

Caden enjoying his ice-cream

Air-con please!!

2011-04-05T10:28:00.002+08:00

We needed a cooling place.. hence, brought the kids to the airport T3 to have dinner and some play time...

Outdoor Fun!

2011-04-05T10:11:00.004+08:00

Weather's so hot.. so Mummy jus let the kids sweat themselves out under the hot sun, before playing in the bath tub.

Fun @ Explorer Kid

2011-04-05T09:39:00.006+08:00

Brandon has been pestering Mummy to bring him to Explorer Kid for some time. 2 Thursdays ago, Daddy suddenly said, "U wanna bring them to EK?" What can I say?? So, off we went!!

Have a pix, before the fun starts...

Caden, who used to be scared of the color ball pool, was daring enuf to go in and play with them this time.

They had the pool to themselves cos there's no one there!

Then, they had fun at the maze. Jie-jie and gor-gor were very good, making sure they took care of Caden while having fun themselves. Daddy joined them for a while and got tired out very soon..

Alicia showing off her gymnastics stunts

They had a go at the pool again before we left.

We had waffle ice-cream at Gelare. Not enuf, the kids asked for more. Brought them to Coffee Bean for tiramisu cake while Daddy enjoys his coffee...

Day at the Zoo

2011-03-21T00:48:00.006+08:00

We visited the Singapore Zoo on Saturday. Headed to the zoo direct for breakfast and gosh... it was so crowded. Seemed like a long time since we saw so many pple at the zoo.

As usual, we rented the wagon.

Alicia & Brandon were put in charge of our route. They read the map and directed us where to go. Heee... what are they looking at? For those regulars, u shld kn. The stench once we approach this place - the zebras n rhinos.

We continued with other animals but missed the feeding times. Skipped the other shows and headed straight to the Kidzworld for the Animal Friends show.

Kids love it cos they get to pat the doggies after the show.
I mus show this pix. Only realised after I took it. Daddy said luckily he wasn't the one who took the photo, else Mummy is gonna..... : # Aiya, she spoilt the photo lah!
Playing with the bubbles...

Alicia & Brandon can't wait for the water playground...

It was so difficult to grab hold of Alicia cos she was running all over!

Daddy brought Caden to the dry playground and he came back to look for me. He stayed closely to me - making sure he's not too wet. This boy is still abit afraid of the water.

Gor-gor was very good - he made sure he looked after his di-di, while enjoying himself.

It started to rain on our way out of Kidzworld. We decided to leave the place. Went to Sushi Tei @ Serangoon Gardens for lunch.
They requested for ice-cream and Daddy acceded to their request - we popped over to Mac for ice-cream cone. That really made their day.

By the time we reached home, it was almost 4pm. Again, the kids missed their afternoon nap. They slept by 9pm. How nice... : )

March School Holidays

2011-03-21T00:02:00.005+08:00

It's school holidays again for the kids. So what have they been up to for the one week?

Well, Alicia & Brandon have their usual ECAs for the week - there's no term break for all activities. Their calendars have been fully packed. They din take afternoon naps at all. Even Caden missed his naps for 4 days cos of the busy schedule. We're all so tired after the one-week.

They played with their toys at home...

Went out for meals - Crystal Jade Korean BBQ, Sushi Tei, Swensens, MacDonalds, Ding Tai Fung, Yoshinoya, Xin Wang HK Cafe, etc.

They went to the Library - Bishan & Serangoon. They also joined the other kids for the story-telling session. Caden sneaked out halfway... Look at him - he prefers to choose his books from the messy box instead of the shelves.

Alicia & Brandon got to attend a workshop/party by Build a Bear. It was a more than 2hrs session for 20 invited kids. They even gave out goodie bags to them.

Brandon & Caden - on our way to NEX for the workshop

All kids had to bring their pets 'naked'. Each was given a name tag.

The kids at the workshop - this was the intro session.

The rabbit mascot made an appearance for photo-shoot.

While jie-jie & gor-gor were having fun at the workshop, Daddy went to the library to read. Caden followed Mummy shopping... Not a bad choice for him cos he got few new items.
Outdoor Playground at Bishan J8

USS trip

2011-03-10T00:13:00.008+08:00

We went to USS, again, on 8 Mar, Tues. Hv lost count of the no. of times we've been there. But, suppose we'd better make full use of the annual pass before it expires in Jun. RWS have been very nice... they extended the validity by 3 months.

It was a great trip. For the 1st time, Alicia & Brandon were convinced to try out the roller coaster. We're so happy for them!

They've been asking for the churros since our last visit. And we headed right to the cart once we reached USS.

Welcome to Madagascar!Ogre. Beware!!!
Brandon was 1st to try out the roller coaster ride with Daddy. See how nervous he was.
And, after he came down... he was jumping with joy! Even Caden found it hilarious.
Saw Shrek and Fiona. I love this shot. Fiona was very funny. She said to Caden after the photo, "You have very nice set of teeth! Did u wash them with mud?" Caden was blur!

Trying out the different shades & hats

Photos, after watching Madagascar's dance

On our way back, Alicia told Daddy she wants to try the roller coaster ride. What a brave girl! And after her ride, Brandon wanted to go for round 2 again!
On our way out...

We enjoyed the trip so much.... : ) We're gonna be there again!!!

Last swim at the Club

2011-03-10T00:07:00.003+08:00

There was a buyer for our membership at the club and hence, we decided to give it up. There's other alternatives when the kids want a swim anyway.

We went for our last swim there on 28 Feb and they had the pool all to themselves. When we told the kids it'll be their last time there, they added on. "We still can go Da-yi's club..."

Gymnastics

2011-03-10T00:01:00.002+08:00

Mummy signed Alicia & Brandon up for gymnastics. It's a weekly 2x 2-hr session. It's very tiring for them cos not only do they miss their afternoon nap, they were made to work very hard during the 2-hour session.

In addition, they use so much energy that they get very hungry after the class. On their first day, they each gobbled down a fish/chicken burger, shared a large french fries and a strawberry milkshake. They even had a vanilla cone each! What big appetite they have!!!

The kids get to go to J8 very often nowadays cos we head straight there after their gym class.

Electricity

2011-03-09T23:57:00.002+08:00

Daddy cleaned the kids ears on 3 March.

Daddy: "Now that I've cleaned your ears, u can hear us better. So, mus answer when Daddy or Daddy calls u, ok?"

Brandon & Caden nodded their heads.

Alicia: "My ears have electricity. (Mummy was about to correct her when she continued) I can switch on and off. When u call me, my electricity is off. So, I can't hear u.

Daddy & Mummy looked and each other. We were speechless.

Where did she learn this from?????

Sick sick

2011-03-09T23:50:00.002+08:00

Caden fell sick after his birthday. Cough and running nose. We let him stay at home for a day to rest. He was more than happy to skip school.

Singing for Mummy while on the swing.

Itchy backside, I wld call it. Immediately after he recovered, Daddy & I brought him swimming on Saturday, while jie-jie & gor-gor were playing with Cousin Sharlyn at Yi-po's house. He caught a cold again. : (

Wanted to let him stay at home to rest last week, but he said, "Cannot... must go school to learn new things." Wow... impressed. But, he's still having that separation anxiety leh...

Alicia's Birthday Celebrations

2011-03-09T23:11:00.006+08:00

Alicia turns 6!!! Happy Birthday!!!

We had a few rounds of celebrations for her. It started off with a pre-celeb with Daddy & Mummy alone at Bakerzin on last Wed afternoon.

On Friday evening, Da-gu brought Brandon and her to Build A Workshop at Nex to get their birthday gifts.

The asthma & allergy-free bear & puppy they chose - unstuffed.

Stuffing the toys with cotton

Ta-da... Brandon's puppy with the blue shirt chosen by him.

Alicia's bear, with the pink dress chosen by her.

Gifts from Da-gu & family. Thank you!!!

Registering for their new toys... birth certificate to be printed after registration.

Alicia named her bear Ariel, while Brandon named his puppy Rody.

We celebrated with Ah Ma and the rest at J8 Swensen's on Saturday evening.

Another round on Sunday evening with 99 and the rest at TM's Ding Tai Fung. This was followed by a shopping spree at Toys R Us, with compliments from Da-yi & Small-yi. Cake-cutting was done at 99's place.

On Tuesday, as there wasn't gym class, we went to USS as requested by her (see post on USS visit). This was followed by dinner at Sushi Tei @ Vivo and another shopping treat at Toys R Us. We always say there shldn't be any more new toys for them but when it comes to such occasions, we jus couldn't say no!

Today, she celebrated in school with her teachers and friends in the morning.

Took photos at home with her presents.

'Attacked' by Caden, who kept trying to give jie-jie a kiss!!

We then had dinner at Bakerzin at MyVillage, as chosen by her.

She's very very happy. And we're happy for her too. Once again, Happy Birthday my darling girl.

Celebrating Caden's Birthday in School

2011-03-07T01:32:00.003+08:00

Caden celebrated his birthday in school on 15 Feb. Mummy ordered the Mickey Mouse cake, as chosen by him. Instead of goodie bags of candies for his friends, balloons were ordered.

Sitting on Daddy's car boot with the balloons before going into school.

Celebration in class - photos taken by Teacher Miss Tan.

Gor-gor was sneaked into the class by the teacher. Jie-jie couldn't come cos her schedule was tight that day.

My boy, when I fetched him after school.

Caden's Birthday - Celebration at home

2011-02-15T00:34:00.005+08:00

We celebrated Caden's birthday at home on Monday, Valentine's Day. He'll be having another celebration in school on Tuesday, his birthday itself.

Jie-jie & gor-gor loving their little di-di. So sweet!!! We din even ask them to kiss him and they did it themselves!

Family portrait
Group photo

Patiently waiting for Cousin Denise to put the candles bought by Xiao-gu.

Caden insisted on cutting the cake on his own.

He was so happy with his Mickey Mouse present from Da-gu, Xiao-gu & Shu-shu. There's another Mickey Mouse haversack which Da-yi bought for him. He kept carrying it around the house.

Our Caden has grown up. So fast... he's 3 years old now. Daddy & Mummy wish that he'll be happy & healthy forever. We love you!

Caden's Birthday - Round 2 celebration

2011-02-15T00:20:00.003+08:00

We had round 2 of celebration for Caden's birthday with 99, Da-yi, Small-yi, Valarie jie-jie and Uncle Simon on Sunday. Mummy initially planned for dinner at Imperial Treasure but upon Caden's request, we changed it to Sushi Teh @ Tampines One. I'm sure he enjoyed himself very much that day.

At Sushi Teh - with his favourite persons

We brought them to Icing Room to buy a cake for them to decorate themselves.

Thanks to Cousin Val, the cake turned out very nice.

Firecrackers & Fireworks

2011-02-14T23:52:00.004+08:00

All thanks to Uncle Wong, we drove to Kulai, Malaysia again this year for fireworks & firecrackers. It was a smooth ride there other than the short heavy downpour along the way. The kids slept on the way there and on the way back.

Lo-hei before the home-cooked dinner. Caden & Brandon enjoyed this v much.

The small & big fireworks - RM$150 and RM$500. Got 3 firecrackers (Alicia holding 1) free...

Getting ready to set off the firecrackers

This year's firecrackers was very long. It was too heavy for the bamboo. Plan A failed... we hung it on the tree again, jus like last year.

The boys knew what to do before the firecrackers set off - cover their ears! Caden seen here with Auntie Jasmine as Mummy was busy taking photos & video.

Once it set off... the smoke blew towards us cos of the wind direction! Wrong lah!!!

The 2 'macho' man getting ready to set off the big fireworks. They had to carry the big box a distance away cos we realised that the 1st set was set off too near to us. It'd b nicer if we see it from far.

Daddy came back welcomed by all... pespiring all over.

The 2 boys posing after the fireworks.

The kids enjoyed themselves very much. They din need time to warm up at all... Even Caden was playing with all the aunties & uncles. Daddy was so happy too!

CNY Visiting

2011-02-14T23:48:00.002+08:00

Other than 99 & Da-gu's home, we also went visiting at Gu-gong & Yi-po's place this year. Look at how much the kids enjoyed themselves when we were at Yi-po's place last Saturday.

Pre-celebration of Caden's birthday

2011-02-11T00:17:00.006+08:00

Time flies... my Caden wld be 3 years old next week. We had round 1 of celebration for his birthday today at Swensen's J8 for afternoon tea. He was super duper happy as he had his fav food - strawberry ice-cream, french fries with tomato ketchup corn!

This boy is very cute. We brought him along to order his birthday cake at Bengawan Solo yesterday. He chose the design himself. When we got into the car ready to go home, he said to me, "Mummy, where's my cake? I want the cake, not the paper!" Haaa!!! He wanted the cake on the spot, not the receipt! So innocent!

CNY 2011

2011-02-10T23:58:00.006+08:00

Here are some photos we took for CNY this year. Lazy Mummy din take any photos on the first day when all the kids were dressed up nicely when the relatives came over for visiting & dinner. Oops!

Reunion - we had steamboat as the main course this year. Also lao yu sheng...

Day 1 - went 99's place to bai nian and had lunch there.

Day 2 - After receiving guests in the afternoon, we went to the River Angbao in the evening.

7 Feb, Monday - the kids were dressed in traditional costume for the school celebration.

Daddy was still asleep when the kids left for school in the morning. He made sure I took many photos when we fetched them after their school...

Barney car car

2011-02-10T23:54:00.002+08:00

Last month, Mummy arranged for a free trial at MyGym for Caden. Argh... this boy ah... refused to join in the class and insisted I leave the place with him after we stepped into the Tampines Junction outlet. No choice... while Daddy was with the other 2 kids at 99's place, I brought him shopping at Tampines Mall instead. And this boy led me to 2nd floor via the escalator to take the Barney kiddy ride! Look at how happy he was!

New Haircut for CNY

2011-02-10T23:51:00.002+08:00

Mummy brought Brandon & Caden for a new haircut for CNY. Recently, many people asked me, "Are they twins?" when I bring them out. Look alike meh??? Aiyo...got height difference leh...

Progress

2011-02-10T23:37:00.002+08:00

As with last year, Alicia has homework at least thrice a week. I instil in her the habit of completing her homework the first thing she reaches home from school before she starts to play or take her lunch. This is one thing I'll always praise her - she jus loves to do such school work! She's done very well in her English and Chinese Spelling so far, getting full marks for all. Well done, my girl! This year, she refuses to take her afternoon nap. She'll bring out the activities books which Mummy bought for her and do pages till I sometimes plead with her to stop n rest. I know you're hardworking... Keep up the good work!

As for Brandon, he's also started having homework at least twice a week this year. I've seen improvements in him. He can concentrate better in terms of writing and reading. Jus the other day, he obtained a perfect score for his phonics assessment. Mummy treated him to ice-cream to reward him. Good job, my boy!

Caden... I dunno whether to be happy or sad. Every time Alicia or Brandon brings out their homework to do, he'll run to the cabinet to bring out his 'homework' too. We've bought quite a no. of activities books for him too and he loves them! Sometimes, I'll need to jagar him and dun hv the space n time to guide his older siblings in their work. Dats when I find him annoying.. Haa... But, it's because he's so interested in writing and coloring, that he's able to recognise all the letters and numbers and can even write a few of them before the age of 3. Jus the other day, he wrote his name on a piece of paper and asked me for the date. Haaa... cos each time jie-jie or gor-gor does their homework, they hv to write the date! Clever boy lah, Caden! Mummy is proud of you!

Swimming Update

2011-01-18T00:54:00.002+08:00

The swimming class for this year has been changed to Sunday. Alicia can swim quite well now, as in her strokes are there. With the float, it's a breeze for her. Brandon still needs to improve on his strokes - anyhow kick... :p

Last week, we brought Caden along.

As usual, we went to Swensen's for brunch after the swim class. Kids were so hungry and enjoyed their food so much after swimming!

Kidz Playground at NEX

2011-01-18T00:45:00.004+08:00

We've been very good... staying at home most times for the whole week. On Saturday, we brought the kids for lunch and den to the playground at NEX, as promised. Caden refused to play with Alicia & Brandon on that day. He's still slightly afraid of water. So, he followed Xiao-gu & Er-gu shopping instead.

Only minus point - no proper shower area for them. The shower heads made available are in the open... so not very privacy-friendly.

Daddy's birthday dinner

2011-01-18T00:41:00.003+08:00

We celebrated Daddy's birthday at Sushi Tei on Wednesday evening. Alicia was so good to her Daddy. When we asked what they'd like for dinner, she replied, "Daddy will order the food cos it's his birthday." No wonder she's Daddy's girl!

1st week of Pre-Nursery

2011-01-18T00:02:00.004+08:00

Caden is finally attending school. This is a milestone that Mummy has been waiting for. After the 1st week of 2-day orientation, the 2nd week of January 2011 is his official pre-nursery, i.e. without Mummy tagging along.

Day 1 - he kept holding onto my hands. Struggled when the teacher wanted to hold his hands. I couldn't bear to let go. Surprisingly, only 3 boys cried. I followed him till they went into the class. Could hear him cry when the door closed and the teacher shut me off. When I picked him up after class, he looked happily sitting on Mrs Lee, the principal's lap. The teachers told me that he was her shadow for the day. : ) Everyone asked him if he cried in school when they came back from work. By the time Xiao-gu came back at nite, he was quick to respond even before she asked - "I din cry!" Haa...

Happily enjoying the grapes that Mummy brought for him. When I asked if he'd like to go to school again, he said YES!

Day 2 - Again, he cried a little when Mummy left him. Dunno why, but more than half of the class cried today. Contagious? Or, they've awaken after the 1st day?

When we picked him, he told Daddy, "I cried a little bit." : 0

Day 3 - It was PE attire day. They played at the playground before heading to the classroom. As he insisted that Mummy followed, I tagged along and took some photos of him.

Another happy boy when we fetched him

Day 4 - Not sure if he's mentally or physically tired. By 1plus each day, he'll be very tired. However, on Thursday, jie-jie & gor-gor refused to take their afternoon nap, and he also din wan to. Let him be... but he couldn't take it and fell asleep on the sofa!

Day 5 -He teared when Mummy wanted to leave. The teachers said that he's good cos he'd only cry a little but settle down very quickly after I left.
Looks so happy when Mummy picks him up because...
Enjoying the honey water which he requested Mummy to bring each day after his school.

I have to give special thanks to his principal, Mrs Lee, for taking care of him. She'll specially hold him each day, and bringing him to see jie-jie or gor-gor so that he's willing to let me go home each day. Without the special attention, he may not be able to settle down so well.

Happy Birthday, Daddy! (in advance)

2011-01-10T02:00:00.003+08:00

We celebrated Daddy's birthday in advance when everyone's around on Sunday. The kids were so cute - they kept blowing off the candle altho we tried lighting it so many times! Check out the video at my Facebook.

Breakfast @ Swensens

2011-01-10T01:53:00.002+08:00

When everyone's still sleeping, Mummy brought Alicia & Brandon for their swimming class at 8am! Awww... so glad that the coach has formed another class and we'll join the 10am class from next Sunday.

We went home to pick Daddy & Caden up for our breakfast at J8 Swensens. Yummy... : )

Kiddy rides time...

Daddy & Mummy skipped lunch cos we made a reservation at Ellenborough Market Cafe for hi-tea - to celebrate Daddy's birthday.

Shoo fever!

2011-01-10T01:50:00.002+08:00

Dunno why, but Caden had fever on Friday after he woke up from his afternoon nap. Look at how angry he was when Mummy pasted the Kool-it pad on him. He told Daddy that Mummy's naughty. :p

Shoo, fever! I want him to be well to attend school on Monday!

ECAs

2011-01-10T01:47:00.002+08:00

Alicia has stopped going for her ballet classes since we came back from Maldives. For some reasons, she jus refused to attend them. Mummy spoke to the teacher who said that she has been doing very well. Anyway, Daddy & Mummy decided to let her be cos we signed her up originally cos she showed interest in it.

On the other hand, she's very happy attending the music lessons. Keep it up, girl.

Swimming with Da-yi & Val

2011-01-10T01:45:00.002+08:00

We pestered Da-yi to bring us to her club for a swim, and she did so last Sunday. : )

The kids enjoyed themselves, with Da-yi & Cousin Val's company. Thank you!!!

Pre-nursery for Caden

2011-01-10T00:55:00.003+08:00

Caden is 3 years old this year. This also means that he needs to attend pre-school. Mummy signed him up for the pre-nursery class in Alicia & Brandon's school. For the 1st week, he was only required to attend 2 days of 1.5hrs of orientation on Tues & Thurs.

Day 1 - he was all ready and happily showing off his uniform & shoes to everyone at home.

He did very well in school - mainly cos Mummy was with him. All other parent(s) too.

Mummy followed him to the toilet as and when he needed to.

Day 2 - he wasn't ready to be left alone. Looks teary when I told him I'll fetch him after his class. Hence, I stayed on with him. So did 2 other mums. 2 boys kept crying, while the girls were all so gungho.

Happily feeding himself. He even asked for a 2nd serving from the teacher!

He followed the teachers & friends to the toilet in groups. He also allowed the teacher to teach him how to wash his hands properly. A good start, I hope.

Way to go, Caden!

Home

2011-01-10T00:48:00.003+08:00

For the past few weeks, we've been going out almost every day. To prepare the kids for their school, we stayed at home to "cool down" after the new year. Other than doing some revision, they also played outdoors.

Housewarming @ One Amber

2011-01-10T00:38:00.002+08:00

We visited Daddy's friend's new house for a housewarming party on New Year's Day.

In return, Hui Lin gave the kids presents! Thank you, Aunty Beng Hiong & Uncle Yee Ching!

New Year. New Hair Cut

2011-01-10T00:30:00.003+08:00

Alicia & Brandon went with Daddy & Mummy for a haircut on New Year's Day.

Happy New Year - 2011

2011-01-09T23:52:00.004+08:00

Happy New Year!!!

We brought the kids to Serangoon Swing for the 2011 countdown on New Year's Eve, 31 Dec 2010. The kids were very excited cos we told them there'll be fireworks. By the time we went there at 11+pm, the inflatable bouncing castles n all other games have closed shop for the day.
Playing with the neon light-sticks n clappers given out.

Enjoying ice-cream at MacDonald's after the countdown

Merry Christmas 2010!

2010-12-27T02:52:00.006+08:00

It was a peaceful Christmas Eve as our party was planned for Christmas Day! When the day came, everyone was busy helping out. Other than Daddy's own family, Mummy's frens were also invited for the party. Thanks to all who helped out to make the party a success.

Our spread

Mummy's frens - Aunties Tze Wei, Sherlene & Diana

Their kids - Amanda, Amelia, Ethan & Amelie

Getting 2 or 3 kids to pose for a photo is no problem for me.

But, when it came to getting all 9 kids to pose for a group photo, none of us could manage. More training needed!!!
Alicia & Brandon happily unwrapping their presents. Look at how happy Brandon's face was when he saw the Ben 10 toy from Small-yi. He has been playing it almost every moment since...
Caden was the Ambassador for the nite, busy taking photos with all...

Even Daddy had a big surprise from Da-gu

Few shots taken by them, when Mummy me was busy chatting with frens.

The kids with their presents on Boxing Day. Alicia & Brandon unwrapped all while Caden wasn't even interested in them. He was jus happy singing & dancing the Christmas songs. In the end, Alicia did the unwrapping for him.

Here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!!!

Cycling at Pasir Ris Park

2010-12-27T02:08:00.006+08:00

24 Dec, Fri: It's Christmas Eve... We went Pasir Ris Park for cycling in the morning. When we reached there, we were so disappointed that the Bicycle Rental Kiosk was closed. Sigh... decided to let the kids play at the playground before we headed to East Coast Park instead.

Hee... after a while, we noticed people cycling with rented bikes. So drove to the kiosk to try our luck. It was jus open! Never knew they open at almost 11am!

Cousin Shermaine & Brandon rented a bike each. Er-gu rented one which could take Caden. Haa... Daddy & Mummy rented the couple bike. It's been such a long time since Mummy rode on one, bum pain!! But, it was a good experience.. : ) Brandon was very slow, so we followed him. Alicia rode so fast with Shermaine & Er-gu that we lost sight of them at one point of time.

We switched around a few times. Daddy took Caden on the pillion bike. Er-gu took Alicia on the couple bike. Brandon cycled Alicia's bike. Caden took Brandon's bike while Mummy pushed him along.

We took our lunch there before heading home, after a 2-hour ride. Tired... the kids had a good afternoon nap.

Ikea

2010-12-27T02:05:00.002+08:00

22 Dec, Wed: We brought Caden to Ikea Tampines to get a new table. Alicia stayed at home to play with Cousin Shermaine. After Ikea, we went to 99's place to fetch Brandon, who stayed over the nite before.

Shortest trip to USS

2010-12-27T01:40:00.006+08:00

20 Dec, Mon: We knew that the admission tickets were sold out for these few weeks. But, we din expect the crowd to be that bad. When we reached the USS entrance, Daddy & I looked at each other and shaked our heads. Still, we proceeded in.

Waiting for Daddy at the car park...

Timing was jus rite - after renting the double-stroller, we managed to take photos with Madagascar characters. This was what Caden had been looking forward to. Too bad, no dance.

Also met Puss in Boots, who taught the kids to pose...

Then, we headed to watch Shrek 4D. The queue was terrible. We had never needed to queue this long. Think it took us almost an hour to get in there.

We queued for the carousel ride. This wasn't too bad.

Met Winnie the Woodpecker for the 1st time. It's always Woody, the male version.

Looking at the crowd, we decided to get out of the place. After snacking on churros, we left for Vivocity (altho we jus shopped at Vivo the day before). Had lunch at Marche, shopped a while, before heading home.

Brandon & Caden took a photo with Ben 10 outside Toys R Us.

USS, we'll visit again next year, when it's off peak.

Celebrating Cousin Denise's birthday

2010-12-27T01:38:00.003+08:00

18 Dec, Sat: We celebrated Cousin Denise's birthday at Aston's @ Suntec. Shopped around after our dinner there. Dunno why, but Mummy me jus din have the mood to take photos... Ended up with jus these few photos in the camera. Oops!

Xiao-gu's birthday

2010-12-27T01:13:00.004+08:00

17 Dec, Fri: We celebrated Xiao-gu's birthday in advance on Fri nite cos her friend baked a cake for her. How nice... But, it turned out that the birthday girl (or boy) seems to be Caden instead. This boy ah...

Crocs Expo Sale

2010-12-27T01:09:00.003+08:00

17 Dec, Fri: Mummy brought Alicia to Crocs Expo Sale while Daddy stayed at home to look after the 2 boys. We grabbed 2 pairs of shoes each for Mummy, Brandon & Caden and 1 pair each for Alicia & Daddy. : ) Regretted not getting more for Alicia.. Let go of a few pairs but could not find them anymore when I wanted to get them. : (

A Very Merry Pooh Christmas at NEX

2010-12-27T00:47:00.004+08:00

16 Dec, Thurs: We went to NEX for lunch and spent enuf to redeem a few passes - 1 photo pass and 3 play passes.

Queueing to take photo with Pooh and friends. Was a little disappointed that there's no musical or show, jus photo-taking.

The shot, without Mummy cos 1 photo pass could only admit 4 pax!

It was great that there's the playland for the kids. Caden, however, was afraid to enter without Mummy. In the end, he only took photos and din participate in any of the other activities. The jie-jies there were nice to allow Mummy to take some pix of them (No parents were allowed in there!).

Daddy & Mummy went back to NEX at 4pm, while the kids were napping, to redeem the free photo. Quite nice... : )