Staycation at Sentosa

Last month, to celebrate me turning 29, the hubs decided to bring us for a 3D2N staycation at Sentosa. Checked out a few hotels and finally booked a one bedroom villa at Amara.

Joshie as usual was besotted with the cake and sang a birthday song to me. After that, we used our forks and dug into the birthday cake just like that. Hehe, no need to cut since it's just amongst the three of us.

The bedroom and the living room are separated by a mini pool. That night, my little cheeky slept in a portable playpen provided by the hotel. No complains at all from him even though he can't fully stretch his long body.

The next day, we explored Sentosa, LOL. Walked up to Imbiah Lookout. Visited the insect and butterfly farm. Saw lots of Halloween decorations since Halloween was just a week away. That day, Josh learnt a new word - skeleton :) Hubby then decided to go on the Luge with Josh. Here is a picture of both of them with their helmets.

The best picture I could take of them going downhill. It wasn't very fast and the little cheeky enjoyed it.

In the evening, we relaxed in our mini pool before dinner.

Good time spent together as a family. However, we were disappointed with the hotel. The service and facilities were not what we would expect, from the price we paid. The main swimming pool was unimpressive, lousy spread of buffet breakfast, poor housekeeping and lots of mosquitoes swarming around!!! We will not go back there again.

Short holiday at Rasa Sayang Penang

The hubs has been wanting to stay at the newly refurbished Rasa Sayang hotel in Penang but we have always ended up at some other hotel, mainly because of the price. However, last September, I bravely went ahead and booked a room in the Rasa Wing (more expensive than the Garden wing). I told myself that we've not had a holiday this year so it's ok to spend a bit more =) hahahaha.........

There are additional perks for Rasa Wing guests; namely that we have our own lobby, fast check-in and out, all-day drinks (coffee, tea and soft drinks) and titbits at the lounge, high tea and pre-dinner drinks. Oh, and we have our own Rasa pool too, but children are not allowed.

Here's Joshie and daddy at the Garden wing pool. Cooling and shady. Mummy was lounging on the chair =)

A picture just before sunset. Joshie took this for us, with some guidance from daddy.

Our walk amongst the lush greenery.

Joshie and daddy sliding down the mega slide at the kids adventure zone. The adventure zone is situated at their sister hotel, Golden Sands which is just a mere 5-10 minute walk away.

Week 30

Preggo mummy with little Joshie at the waterfalls just before Halia Restaurant @ Botanical Gardens.

So far, weight gain is around 7-7.5kg. I hope not to exceed 12 kg by full term, which was how much I gained with Joshie. Feeling occasional aches in my lower back and bum bum thanks to the extra weight. Prenatal massage really helps a lot and I try to go once a week.

Baby #2 has been actively moving, especially when I lie down to sleep around 11ish every night. Hope he doesn't keep me up at that hour after he is born. =P

Child talk

We were having dinner at Bakerzin. I was still eating while Joshie had just finished his pasta. He turned towards me and said "mummy, I am waiting for you to hurry up."

After that, we headed to the car park and I was quite deep in thought. I knew he was asking me something but my mind was still not concentrating. He then said very loudly, "mummy, you are not clever like my papa."

Our first trick or treat

Halloween is not widely celebrated by the Asians, thus the hubs and I have never ever participated in the event. However, since we mingle with Westerners here, we were invited to join them in their "trick or treat". Bought Joshie a pirate costume from the newly opened H&M and also some sweets and chocolates for the kids.

Our little son posing in his pirate costume. Happily holding on to his pumpkin bucket.

Meeting his friends at the playground. From left to right, Gaspar the skeleton, Marci the soldier, Claire the witch and Joshie the pirate.

The group before we started. Eight houses to visit in total =)

Was fun but really hot, especially for the kids in costumes. Josh had his whole bucket filled with sweets. I only allowed him to eat two that night and another two the next day. After that, the bucket of sweets have been kept on top of our refrigerator. He asks for them but I firmly told him no. Maybe I'd give him a couple this weekend =)

Trial lesson at Aqua Ducks

It was a parent-child class. The coach sang songs to dispel their fear and she used a little bucket to slowly wet their face and eyes. Everything was done gradually. She encouraged them but did not push them real hard.

Encouraging the kids to lie down and relax in the water.

It was a very quick class, only 30 minutes in total. Joshie was crying a bit initially as he didn't want the coach to hold him, only daddy. We bribed him with M&Ms again =(. Luckily he was willing to try again and didn't fuss much when the coach put his head underwater for a second or two. He was offered a slot with kids his age and he is starting his first lesson really soon =)

How he overcame his fear

My little boy had no problem swimming in the baby pool in our condo. However, each time we drag him into the big pool, he'd scream, cry and cling to either on of us like a little koala bear. All heads would turn towards us and we would cringe in embarassment as the little cheeky hollers away. Even though we kept reassuring that we won't let go, he wouldn't want to listen and would just bawl.

Hubby and I decided that we need to brainwash him and explain to him properly that there's nothing to be afraid of. But that didn't really work too. He'd come out of the big pool and run towards the baby pool. I was about to give up and thought of trying again when he was a little older. However, in the midst of this, I received an email from Aqua Ducks, a swim school, offering Joshie a trial lesson. They would assess him and decide if he can fit into their programme. We have been put on the waitlist for a long time already and I was happy that our turn finally came. BUT, I don't think they'd accept him if he starts to holler away at the swimming pool.

So, we tried again. Brainwash him. Told him he's a big boy and there's nothing to be afraid of. Bribed him with M&Ms too. And the good thing was, his two close friends have already started swimming lesson and can swim in the big pool quite independently. I purposely brought him to the poolside to watch his friends swim and asked him if he wanted to be like them.

So into the pool he went again, during the recent Deepavali holiday. We tricked him and said that his friends are watching from upstairs. He believed and so went into the pool with little fuss. Had his arm floats on and kickboard in his hands. Daddy held on to his kickboard to give him confidence and so he started kicking. With each kick, came words of encouragement and praise from both the hubs and I. Soon he was enjoying himself and didn't even realise that daddy had let go of the kickboard. He was kicking on his own, with his arm floats and kick board. And before we knew it, daddy could move away and he was all OK. He was excited and didn't ask to go to the small pool anymore.

And then, his friend came to join him in the big pool. When he saw that his friend was swimming with just the swim jacket on, he let go of the kickboard too. I could hardly believe my eyes. Of course he was very pleased with himself and asked his friend to look at him too =) I guess peer pressure really works, even at such a young age eh?

My little boy looks so small in the big pool. The hubs and I are real glad that he has overcome his fear =)

His 3yo party in KL

I've been really lazy to write, so these pictures will have to do. Blame it on my lack of enthusiasm to blog or just blame it on the pregnancy hormones....=)

We had his party at the clubhouse in the gated community where we live. One very obvious difference that I noted was the punctuality of our guests. In Singapore, our first guests arrived a few minutes before the time noted on the invite. Within the next 20-30 minutes or so, about 80% of our guests had arrived. However, in KL, there was absolutely no guests present at the time stated. Our family even started and finished eating and still there was no one. I think our first guest only arrived 20 minutes later =)

Anyway, this was what we did while waiting for our guests to arrive.

Take a picture with my dear son in the playroom. As I am usually alone with him, I rarely get to snap a picture of the two of us. So here goes. A picture of Joshie and his 24 week preggars mommy.

And a family picture of the 3 of us which is also rare =)

We hired a balloonist cum clown and gave him the responsibility of entertaining the kids for 1 hour. So the adults got to chit chat =) It was also a good time for the hubs and I to catch up with friends whom we have not seen for a long time.

A group picture of the kids and us before the cake cutting ceremony. Most of the kids were our ex-students when the hubs and I taught Sunday School for 3 years before we moved down to Singapore. =)

Joshie had a blast opening his presents the next day. Thank you to all who came and made my boy v happy =)

His 3yo party in Singapore

Here are some snapshots from the party day.

Children listening attentively to the clown. He was really good, kept the children entertained, even the adults were laughing at his antics.

Surprise of the day. The clown brought a pet rabbit, Peanut Butter for the kids to pat. Needless to say, they were all thrilled.

Dora and Diego cupcakes. His current craze.

Blowing off his candles, surrounded by his little friends.

Good boy. Helping to clean up at the end of the party =)

Another bite from Gaspar

Two rambunctious boys.........

Play play play.....

And then play turns ugly.........

And Joshie got bitten by Gaspar. This time, it was quite bad. There was blood oozing out of the wound. Of course, my poor boy was crying.

Well son, that's part and parcel of life.

Busy busy busy

Have been really busy for the past 2 weeks since we came back from M'sia. Fired the maid the night we arrived home and since then, I've been doing more housework. Hubby's really helpful. He has been cleaning the floor and helping with the laundry.

My dear Josh has been keeping me tired and busy. For nearly a week, he refused to sleep alone in his room and has been crying for either daddy/mummy to sleep with him. He'd wake up at night and come over to our room too. When we finally settled that problem, he came down with a fever and flu. So I had to wake up every 2 hours to check on him.

Things are finally falling into place now. Josh is his usual self again. I guess he got too much attention from his grandparents so he was a bit difficult to manage when we came home. However, after a few visits to the "naughty corner", he has been a lot better. Back to his usual cheeky, lovable self.

Now, yours truly is suffering from stomach discomfort and lower back pain. The pregnancy hormones do no good to my digestion and I've been suffering from constipation. That led to bloating which resulted in abdominal pain. And the extra housework has led to back pain. Have been too pampered so now with a bit more to do, my back cannot take it. The hubs has ordered me not to do anything and said he will take care of all the chores.

Oh well, life is not a bed of roses all the time. However, I am really thankful for a co-operative and understanding hubs, an obedient toddler and my part-time helper who comes in every Sunday to give the house a good wash!!!! And let's keep our fingers crossed that my Myanmar maid will pass all her tests and come in by the end of this month as expected. Till then, I'll take things easy and not fret over little mishaps.

Happy Birthday dearest son

You are now 3 years old. Time really flies and you are growing up so quickly. Slow down, son. We miss the baby in you although you are still baby-ish in most ways since we "manja' you a lot, especially mummy =)

Soon, you will be a big brother. I know it won't be easy on you as you have always had 100% of attention from us and your grandparents. So far, you have been really good, kissing mummy's tummy and saying "I love didi". I hope and pray that you and your brother will get along really well, apart from the usual sibling squabbles.

We pray that you will always be happy and healthy. We love you lots. May God always bless you and keep you safe.

He says.......

Mummy, girls are pretty and boys are handsome.

We going home? Thank you mummy, thank you for bringing us to Taka.

Thank you for bathing me mummy.

Can you buy that for me? It's not pensive? (he meant expensive)

Mummy, I want people to buy 'pomputer' (he meant computer) for me. Can you tell them?

Where is my daddy, mummy? I can take aeroplane to find my daddy?

A day out at sea

So one fine Sunday, we went out to sea =) We were invited by a friend of hubby to go on his yacht. We thought that we were just going on a spin and I had no idea that we were going to spend the next 7-8 hours or so onboard the yacht. Thus, we were ill-prepared. No appropriate swimming clothes and only Joshie had a change of clothing.

Joshie and mummy on the top deck as the yacht ventured out into the sea. Cool sea breeze.....it was cold coz it was still drizzling a little.

Joshie standing with the older boys as they tried to fish. I was a bit paranoid that my son might fall into the sea.

Joshie and daddy having a blast on the jet ski. Daddy then brought him to the beach where he had plenty of fun. Did not want to go back to the yacht for his lunch.

After his late lunch, he watched Toy Story dvd and ended up dozing on the couch. He did not nap very long, only about 40 minutes as he was awoken by the older boys screaming when the jet ski fell into the sea. The jet ski was lifted up onto the yacht as we had moved on to another island where the water was not so choppy.

I think he was still tired and thus did not want to play outdoors anymore. Daddy offered to bring him on the jet ski again but he declined. So the two younger kids ended up watching tv for the rest of the evening.

It was nearly 6pm when we headed back to Sentosa.

Here is a picture of Joshie driving us home =P.....just kidding!

His first performance

Last month, Joshie's enrichment teachers prepared the kids for a mini performance. The performance was part of the school's aim for the kids to build up their confidence to perform in front of an audience. It was only a 20 minute performance and I must say, the kids did a very good job. I was impressed especially when the ang moh kids sang Chinese songs so well.

This was the scene that greeted us when we entered the room. The kids were hiding behind the trees. To our amazement, the teachers controlled them so well. They did not rush out to mum and dad and did not make much noise too.

The kids singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Throughout the whole 20 minutes, they sang a few songs, both Mandarin and English songs, together with the actions. They were also required to introduce themselves to the audience. Joshie was a bit shy when he was required to speak up but when it came to singing, he was all comfortable and performed very well. Good job, dear son. Mummy and daddy are proud of you =)

Nasty words

I dislike certain words/phrases that come out of my son's mouth.

"I don't like anyone/ so and so"

"I want to chop him/beat him!"

"I want to call police to catch him and put him into jail"

"I don't like him/her. Mummy, I want you to kill him/her"

The last phrase really shocked me.

I think he picked up these words/phrases from his friends as we don't say such things at home. Moreover, I do screen whatever he watches so I guess it's peer influence. However, it just dawned on me that it could due to be books too. I've just recalled the story about the little mermaid which my mom recently read to him. In that story, the mermaid's sisters had asked the little mermaid to kill the prince and make sure that his blood falls on his feet so that her life will be spared.

I know that at the tender age of 34 months, he does not yet know the severity of the words that he utters. It is my duty as his mother to teach him, correct him and guide him along the right path. But sometimes, I am totally at a lost. Don't know whether I reacted appropriately when he mentions those nasty words. I guess I just have to trust in God and believe that He will always guide me in parenting my kids.

A visit to the Singapore Flyer

It's a tourist attraction which I have visited twice, and TWICE when I am pregnant. I was the one who suggested that we bring Joshie and ask his best friend's family to come along too. It was rather unfortunate that we chose to go on the day of the National Day Parade rehearsal. The roads were blocked and we couldn't park at the nearby carpark. Instead, we had to park at Marina Square which was 15 minutes walk away. Thank God we brought their strollers, I can't imagine walking along the busy road with 2 active boys.

As we were early, (we reached by 9am), we managed to get our own private capsule.

Here's a picture of me and the 2 boys before they got all rowdy again.

Inside the capsule.

The view.

Joshie watches as Gaspar monkeyed around. Thank God we had our own capsule as the boys were really noisy. Jumping, singing and dancing away.

I think the admission ticket was around $20 per adult and free for kids below 3 year. Good view of Singapore and the boys had fun trying to spot objects such as car, fire engine, etc etc.

God's protection on my 2 Js

Last Sunday, it was raining heavily in the morning. We were watching tv as we usually skip church when it pours. It is quite a distance to walk from the roadside where our car is parked to church and there is no sheltered drop-off area. The church is working on that though.

The wind was so strong (coupled with the fact that we live on the 25th floor) that our foldable clothes line fell and blocked the doorway which separates the kitchen and laundry area. Hubby put it back properly and we continued watching tv.

Before long, it happened again. This time, my curious son who was no longer engrossed in his toys went to check out what had happened and came back to tell us that "something dropped". The minute he finished talking, we heard a loud smashing sound and saw bits and pieces of glass all over our kitchen floor. The wind had blown our kitchen door shut and the impact of the door hitting the clothes line had caused the glass to be broken. Our kitchen door has a wooden rim with see-through glass in the middle. I was so shocked and realised the severity of the situation had Joshie not ran out in time. I quickly hugged my little son tight and whispered a grateful prayer to God. Hubby asked me to bring Joshie into our room while he and the maid tidied up. It was a mess as there was glass everywhere.

When we were in the room, it dawned on me also that had the door slammed a little later, hubby might have walked into the kitchen to pick up the clothes line and the broken glass would have hit him directly on the face. Either way, it might have been either hubby or Joshie injured. And we would have to rush either one to the hospital. It was really God's perfect timing and protection that both my Js are safe and sound. I thank Him daily for always watching over me and my loved ones. I can't always be there for them but I can always count on Him.

First bite

Well, well, what happens when 2 rambunctious boys play together? Especially when both are supposed to take turns playing with a certain toy.

Look what happened to Joshie's left arm.

He got bitten by his best friend Gaspar. The boys were supposed to be taking turns playing on a mini manual motorbike. Gaspar refused to give up the toy to Joshua after going for a few rounds. Joshua kept chasing him and tried to hold back the motorbike with his hands. Before I knew it, Gaspar turned around and bit Joshua.

So did he cry?

Nope. He just stared at the mark for a while. I think he was kinda shocked. After that he was quite 'manja' and clingy to mummy till we left the playground. The next day, both boys played happily again =)

These 2 friends are so unpredictable. One minute they'll be playing happily, hugging each other and the next minute, they fight! But they patch up really quickly too. Guess kids tend to forget and forgive easily.

Here's a picture of the two good friends.

Supermarket outing

As part of the lesson plan to explore various places within the neighbourhood, the teachers brought the kids to Fair Price supermarket. They put 2 kids in each stroller and pushed them around.

Kids looking on as teacher explains the various items in the dairy section. They also had the opportunity to meet the different people working in the supermarket.

It was definitely an enriching experience. Kudos to LeapSchoolHouse for making learning so fun.

Fun activities in school

This is what happens after school.........

Instead of walking down the stairs properly, these little monkeys MUST glide down using the handrail. And when they finally reach the bottom, they want to do it again! Still so energetic after school. They have so much fun in school and yet it is never enough, the fun must continue till their batteries go flat! So what do they do in school?

Learning their numbers in a fun and creative way. Teacher holds up a number and they are supposed to feed baby monkey the correct amount of bananas. Very effective way of learning.

Science experiment........watching the raisins dance in carbonated water.

Role-playing. Doctor giving a jab to his patient who grimaces in pain :P
So far, Joshie has attended LeapSchoolHouse for seven months and both the hubs and I are happy with the school. The kids are happy there and the teachers are stern but motherly at the same time. Not much pressure and there is a flurry of interesting activities for them everyday.

Our 4th anniversary

One of my favourite pictures taken on our wedding night, 7/7/2007 at Renaissance KL.

As usual, we did not really celebrate! Wished each other and hubby was thoughtful enough to surprise me at lunch time with my favourite kuih :) Oh, and instead of fruits, we polished off a tub of Ben & Jerry's ice-cream for dessert. Bliss!

Thank you hubby for always being by my side through thick and thin. I love you =)

Our sonshine

Cheeky and full of mischief, this little boy brightens up our life with his antics and his speech.

Some of the recent things he said, which I want to jot down and read a few years down the road.

Mummy, don't worry. I will clean up. Later ok?

Quick, I need to wee-wee. Later my urine come out.

Mummy, why you not sleeping? (and he said this a few minutes after HE woke me up from my nap).

Be good ok? Later you go to jail.......

Don't disturb me ok? I have do to things.

Lavish party pack

Gone are the days when party packs consists of balloons, whistles, party hats, face masks and candy. Kids nowadays are very very lucky. And I am seeing an increasing trend of lavish party packs. For Joshie's 2nd birthday last year, I gave out a very simple party pack comprising a box of raisins, a pack of Japanese animal biscuits, stickers and IKEA finger puppets. I guess this year I gotta be a bit more generous.

Two weeks ago, Joshie's schoolmate celebrated her 4th birthday in school. Besides the birthday cake and a wide array of pastries catered from Delifrance, her parents spent a lot on her friends. Each of them had a helium balloon.

And this was what came out from the party pack. A small box of color pencils, cloth face mask, cute stationary, a tub of playdough (not in picture), playdough shapes cutter, a whistle, a bottle of bubbles solution (also not in picture) and an apron.

Needless to say, Joshie was very very excited. The items in the party pack are all very useful and I think every kid was happy =) I'd better start sourcing for Joshie's party pack contents soon since his birthday is just 2 months away.

That afternoon, my boy took his nap with his helium balloon.