our recent outings hv been fab... so nice to just spend time together with mums i've known for ages, and watch the kids just hv fun running about, interacting, and enjoying each others' company.  these hols, were it not for e contatcs i hv with these ladies, i wdnt hv known half of what's going on, and our holiday wdnt be half-as-much fun! ;)  so tq ladies for all yr emails and sms's...keep them flying! :))

-the new safra pool at jurong:

e kids loved it. me too! it's so nice and spacious. lots of different areas to spend time in. and because of e direct sun it receives all day, the water is also v v warm.

-the gym upstairs at e new jurong safra:

we had a free trial. altho' we cant go again because of distance, i found e coaching to be of a high standard. e chap was friendly but good at eeping class control, and in guiding the children to behave in a safe and responsible manner. he was also quick to correct poorly-executed moves, and offered simple solutions to improve form. altho i cdnt attend their classes, he gave me a list of coaches i cd contact in our area to meet our needs. for a juniour fun gym this place wd be a good start. it's bright, airy, plenty of natural ventilation, and very organised in their approach. i like it!  (ky gave e same feedback...)

-the 4-story high 3d maze at e new safra: 

we all got in free which was fab. (in fact we had 2 tkts each...) the big boys went off on their own rt from e start, while i stuck w kay. hadnt gone far when i felt qt claustrophobic... combination of e noise from e ppl, machines, and e all-encompassing net 'walls'. so i sat quietly in 1 spot and helped kay and a few other littlies to catch and feed some balls in the 'bezukas'. as our time ticjked by, i realised i'd hv to head up through e tiny crawl-spaces, in order to get to my mtg point w ky... which was rt at e top exit. i belly-crawled my way through some tight spots with my darling kay leading the way, and got to e top just in time... only to be told that e only way down was by a super duper long slide... which thankfully kay refused (i cdnt hv done it either!) "so back the way u came from" we were instructed... oooh no. by now i was feeling rather giddy and there was no way i was gonna crawl top speed back down where we'd just come from! thankfully 1 chap knew of some stairs which ran outside e building (e fire exit in fact), so kay and i happily jumped our way down. and ky?...he'd app been up and down twice, got too dizzy, taken 2 shorter slides, grazed his elbow, and ended up at e bottom...sending himself to e 'lost property' section while we traversed our way down. "mum i'm so dizzy" was explanation enough... none of us wanted to go again! :) but at least we've done it once :b

-toa payoh puppet shows by artsfest:

we loved this! 'stayed a whole lot longer than we should have. i liked the interactive set-up. the kids were really involved. this aspect was very "un-singaporean". it showed creativity in the set-up and used e space well. community involvement was high. very fun!

-t/p safra 3d maze and safra pool: 

e littlies are now old enough to go off and play in a little group on their own... with the older boys racing around, and only appearing for food and drinks now and then. :) the pool was our 1st visit. it's small and 'safe'...ie easy to keep an eye on even a large grp of kids because of it's size and 'walled-in' design. e water was warm and clean, and only 1 or 2 other swimmers. the older boys had swim-races with me and i won :) and let them win too a couple of times! then we chucked coins in and let them dive for sunken treasure. the littlies also got some coins in their little pool, much to their joy...

-dino exhibit and activities @ plaza singapura:

the 2 chaps presenting e show were full of energy. they presented very well... kept a nice vibe going throughout... made the topic sound very exciting :). having the dinosaurs so near to us in the mall kind-of reminded me of "the night in the museum" show that we'd just seen. kay was happy to see them and asked to be photographed alongside.  she even went back to wave bye-bye to one of them when we went off to buy drinks :) . the boys were happily occupied at the activity tables and needed no supervision, which left me free to help kay stick her dino labels in her little dino-book, and go do some shopping.

-marina barrage:

we took mrt to marina, and free shuttle-bus there and back. altho' it was super hot we were very fortunate... the buses ran regulalry and we didnt hv to wait both ways.... which was a blessing with all the kids! :)   the big boys wasted no time in dashing straight into the fountains...while e girls were more interested in taking their time to eat 1st, and making a point to request sunblock. well done girls! cant forget to take care of yr skin...never too young to start! :b  after that they only came back for food and drinks... later we went up to the roof and watched a few kites, and the kids excitedly sourced for sprinkler valves (yeh, of all the things they cd be looking for!!!) then they headed down the spiral slope, with little R taking a tired tumble. then we headed straight up again and made our way through e viewing gallery... the kids were surprised to lose one mummy along the way ;) or was it planned that way?... so they cd go ard a 2nd time? :) we noticed they werent too keen to leave, esp e big boys... tho the littlies were already fading.

-ben10 show at united square:

i'm not into this really, (but kay app is!)... and a friend mentioned it in passing just e day b4.  so as we needed a place to hv dinner, and as dh wasnt going to be home til late...i decided to stop off there for a couple of hrs on our way home from town.  as luck wd hv it, a show was abt to start just as we finished our dinner...so e kids happily stayed. some scarey 'monsters' went amongst e kids during e show and a few ran out crying... trying to find their mums n dads who were shopping. :-/ eeks! glad i was near e entrance. checked for kay...but she was fine...head held high, and leaning forward to get a better look... so i sat rt back down again to enjoy my chocolate gelato... :)  yes, my little me-time...even if it's just 15min i think i deserve some tlc occassionally :)

the other day i showed kay step-by-step how to cook noodles. she diligently learned and imitated. 

the following day i asked her to explain to me exactly what we'd done.  it took 3 sittings over 3 nites, as she said it needed "a lot of thinking!"   i wrote down her instructions as told, and she drew some pictures alongside.

we are now in the process of making them up into a little book. (having been inspired by a book her big brother had made in school. :)) 

so this is what she came up with...

How To Cook Noodles

By Kayla

     1.     "Boil some water in the kettle.

2.     Get a pot out of the cupboard.

3.     Break the noodles in the pot.

4.     Pour the hot boiling water into the pot.

5.     Put it onto the fire.

6.     Mix it so they doesn’t get stuck at the bottom.

7.     Turn the timer for 20 minutes.

8.     When the timer is stopped, you can take it off the fire.

9.      Put the noodles in the sieve.

10.    Put the sieve under the cold water by the tap.

11.  Then put it in a small bowl.

12.     Put grated cheese, or pork floss, or bacon on it.

Then eat it!”  :b

last week was letter Pp:

-for pancakes, popcorn, pirates and princesses.

-we made e 1st 2 and the whole family enjoyed the fruits of their labours. (waited for ky to get back from school so he didnt miss out! :)) served the mini-pancakes with an asstmnt of honey, choc spread, or just plain marg.

-dressed up as the 2nd 2 for ky's b'day. made pirate eye-patches, maps, and had a party!

-played pin-e-patch on e pirate, using a pirates "wanted" poster stuck on a tree.

-decorated a pirate picture with colourful fabrics and beads.

this week is letter Nn:

-for nurse, nest, noodles and numbers.

-dress up as a nurse and take care of sick patients.  learn how to use a thermometer, put on a bandage, and call 911. use a syringe to suck up specific quantities of coloured water or juice 'meds'.

-paint with water-filled syringes on the corridor walls.

-make a 'nest' using found grasses, twigs and leaves, and place in our plants for decoration.

-learn to cook and serve noodles.

-practice writing numbers 1-20.

-paint a nurse picture.

now that kynan is in school, and effectively out of the house for 6hrs a day, my attention has suddenly taken an about-change.

while he was home, (and being the elder of the two), the schooling had been mostly focused on him. kay has really just been pottering around along the sidelines, doing her own bits and pieces up til now. admittedly, she was qt happy with this arrangement, joining in where she cd, or doing something else when she cdnt. even when we went to montessori, my attention was more directed towards kynan, helping him new learn things, or directing him when necc. so kay didnt really try anything new as i cdnt help show her how.

we've had just 2 montessori classes since ky has been in school, but she really loves them. today she shouted "yaaaaaay!" when she heard we were going. :)  ky had usually had enough of such learning after 1 hour, but kay can continue for 3hrs non-stop and still want to more...  so i'll usually hear at least 3-5 requests before we go.... "mum, i'll just do this *one* thing more before we go!"/ and "mum, let me just do this *one* thing very quickly!"/ and " mum, i promise this is the last one...let me just do it quickly ok?".... how can i say no? :)  most days before we even get there, she already has an idea of what she wants to do, and especially which one she'd like to do 1st. it's so refreshing! so now my focus is on her!

...and she's blossoming!

she started with some familiar scooping, then asked me to read her favourite rhyme: "3 little kittens".... joining in where she knew the words.  :) then she chose landforms (little putty shapes that she has to pour water in). there were 9 and she asked me to ask Aunty Q what their names were. (ya, she's still too shy to do the asking herself!)  with her interest peaking, i decided to draw them out for her, w the intention of making a little matching game when i have a moment.  then while i was busy drawing, she pulled out the 9x9 division tray and beads, and divided different numbers of  'sweets' between different numbers of our family members. then we did some pink boxes together. the timing is so right for these as she's nicely joining the sounds together to decipher the words. (her p's, b's and d's are still sometimes muddled, but i'm hopeful they'll sort themselves out b4 she gets to p1 :))

aside from montessori phonics, the new a-z reading programme is coming on well. we'd planned to do it in a small group as with ky, but for unforeseen reasons the others had to pull out. it's not ideal having just 1kiddo, but there's not much of an alternative.  those in her present p/g are 3yrs-old and as yet unsure of most alpha sounds, so not quite ready.  so with nothing else on the horizon, it's perhaps just something that's meant to be.  kay enjoys the reading bit, esp as she's getting 3-4 new books a week. but she's presently not too keen on the writing practice sheets...although it's only one a week. so we're doing that a little at a time. :) she's very proud to show kynan all her 'work' when he gets home, and very amused when i pretend that i did it myself! :b

at night-time she goes to her little chest where her new reading books are stored. then she takes her pick of what she wants to read to kynan. in exchange, he reads her one of his. it's my turn then to read them one of kay's library books, followed by prayers and lights-out.

so while i get kay to sleep, ky disappears to his room where he does a bit of malay with his daddy.  then i join him for our special storytime (we were halfway through 'wind in the willows', then we switched to 'alice in wonderland'... which he's finding 'curiouser and curiouser')  ;b   then our favourite bit is probably when we snuggle and have a bit of 'catch-up' time before we're both ready for dreamland. :)

with our no2 now starting her 1st year of 'proper' school, ie reading, writing and a'rithmetic, i realise that our homeschool journey is now on it's second time round. 

it's my wish that it will prove to be just as fun and exciting with this littlest darling of mine. :)

this term i'm starting with kay the exact same b4fiar schedule as what i used with ky a few yrs back. except this time, instead of our co-op meeting twice a week, we shall be meeting once a week only. and as previously, we shall again alternate 'secular' stories with familiar Bible stories.

on other days in e week i'll teach kay and another friend's dd, who'll be helping us out with chinese. one other friend will also be learning to read with kay, more of which follows below...  of course we'll still make the usual trips to swim-dates, play-dates, montessori and regular outings, just that they'll start a little later than usual. :)

so here's our term 1 overview, which includes p/grp and general 1:1 lesons:

jan 14,21,28: 'settling-in activities' of our choosing. mb some review, sports, games, fun stuff, also themes such as 'all about me', 'my friends' etc. then later some craftwork/chinese activities relevant to cny.

week1: 4 feb - b4fiar story: 'yellow ball' - theme: float - letter Yy
wk2: 11 feb - 'Jesus calms a storm' - theme: sink - letter Ss
wk3: 18 feb - 'my blue boat' - theme: boats - Bb
wk4: 25 feb - 'Jonah and the big fish' - theme: the sea - Ff
wk5: 4 mar - 'if Jesus came to my house' - theme: family - Jj
wk6: 11 mar - 'Zacchaeus' - theme: homes - Zz

1week holiday...

meet 18 mar? - 'the Easter story' - theme: forgiveness - Review letters done
....(and mb an Easter-egg hunt? :b)...

e above b4fiar & Bible curriculum is to cover language arts, moral ed, art, and a few other subject overlaps.

for maths it will be an easy year. dot-to-dots, mazes, weighing, measuring, continuing to refine e writing of no's, 1:1 counting of larger no's, and some simple addition/subtraction sums using manipulatives

as with ky at this age, my primary focus is really on kay's reading this yr. we've used e Bob bks up til now and she has a few favourites which she has memorised, but like ky, she is more of a phonics reader than by whole-word. so similarly, i will follow Reading a-z to get her and another buddy to read.

we shall follow the same schedule as ky and his buddies did, so we can use e same books and w/shts, which makes e job a whole lot easier :) that's e benefit of having 2 or more kids!... u can put all yr original hard work to even better use :) our weekly themes for a-z generally cover the subjects of science, geography, civics and home economics.

so here's our term 1 Reading Club overview:

15 & 22 jan - theme: 'me' - intro/ getting settled/ getting to know

u/ 'ants on the apple' phonics songs

wk1: 29jan - theme: 'me on the map' - letter-of-the-week: Pp

(ie. places in e city, my neighbourhood, directions, maps, road signs)

wk2: 5feb - theme: 'helpers' - letter Nn

(ie. parents' jobs- in and out the home, jobs of people around me,

community helpers)

wk3: 12feb - theme: 'home sweet home' - letter Aa

(ie. at home, rooms, furniture, kitchen cutlery & crockery, appliances-

electricity/ batteries)

wk4: 19feb - (cny break?) - review prev books/letters, readg in e garden 

wk5: 26feb - theme: 'our earth: big & small plants' - letter Ss

(ie. trees, growth, sunshine and shadows, science focus)

wk6: 5mar - theme: 'our earth: garden animals' - letter Tt

(ie. garden animals, insects, soil and underground, science focus)

wk7: 12mar - theme: 'Mmmmm Food: buying & storing' - letter Qq

(ie. choosing, handling, shopping, paying, keeping ingredients hygienically

etc)

1 week holiday

so that's it for now...we cant wait to get started! 

the hair is cut.

the bag is packed.

the shoes are bought.

the uniforms are washed and hanging.

the books are covered and waiting.

the pencil case is neatly stocked.

the art bag is getting excited!

the new watch is ticking.

the new calendar is in place.

the boy is counting the days...

tday i ran an errand near bishan park, while ky was at gym. it's e 1st time i've left him alone during those 2hrs. but it was something my dh really needed me to do. so i dragged kay along and returned for him with 15min to spare...

as it turned out, i apparently missed something which he was really proud to hv achieved: "a backwards soumersault on the bars mum!"

this he told me tonight as i snuggled beside him b4 bed. he was very happy to hv done it... and even more so because he was e *only* one in his class who was "allowed" to do it, as his coach deemed him capable, he added.  :)

he asked me then if i cd start helping him practice kicking up to a handstand in the air... "cos i'm not very good at that mum". how sweet... actually i've observed that he's been the best in his peresnet class at this particular "stunt" on most days.  then just today his little female friend 'overtook' him :b  isnt it amazing what a bit of competition can do, from someone u like!

next yr my dear u shall be promoted to level 3. by then u will be in school and needing another time-slot.  so although you like yr present coach so much, you'll hv to be moving on.  alas, she doesnt hv any boys' classes at night.... so be brave... e "fierce" male coach is going to be the one to take u further :)  be humble and do yr best!  God will help with the rest...

today we had a gathering of homeschoolers come over to our home for some deepavali activities.

-1st here were 8, then there were 10. then there were 12, and finally there were 18 kids big and samll who joined us some time in the day for the fun! and with mums and dads and other relatives thrown in, another 16adults ended up going through my and granny's house combined. now that was unexpected! but it turned out perfectly...thankfully! ;D here's a little of what the day held for all of us...

-upon arrival, the kids sat patiently and made rangoli designs with coloured rice stuck onto paper plates.(nice to see e mums join in too! what delicate handiwork u produce! :))  and the kids surprised me with their patience... one young boy in particular... he seemed slightly overwhelmed at the start, and told me shortly that he'd had enuff. but then i noticed that he quietly chose to continue... and halfway through, he insistingly informed me that now he 'really wanted' to finish it... and cd cd i pls guide him there.  what a change in perception.... 

-while waiting to move between activities, the kids dug into some sweet and savoury indian snacks and drinks. (the murrukku was very popular. and i had some delicious turkish delight which i'd spotted in mustafa. it dissappeared from the bowl like magic! kay complained that she loved it so much but never even got a 2nd taste today ;) ...a good reason for me to go and buy some more! :))

-the other work-space was in the kitchen. there they flipped through some henna designs, made their selections, and had e patterns painted onto their hands and feet. thks to e special mums who helped to add yr creative flair, and bravo to those kids who managed on their own!!!  :b

-once they were adorned, they proceed to e kids bedrooms, (girls one side and boys the other)...to go and try on some different clothes in traditional punjabi style. another mummy was 'wardrobe assistant', helping e girls to do up zippers, tie ties, and get them out of too-tight belly-bearing tops when they'd got stuck! :) 

the boys were in their own private world. clothes remained on the bed... where else shd they be?... while out came e cars and motorbikes and tracks and other boys' toys. i was impressed that they managed to busy themselves quietly for so long...  5 minutes before we were to leave, i peered in, gave the signal, and they all magically emerged on time, and truly handsome in their indian finery.  

i'd taken out my punjabi suits for the mums to try on if they chose...including one from my wedding.  one mum emerged resplendent... the royal blue brocadedwaistcoat looked magnificent on her.  i was so glad to see it used again after all these years... as it's considerably too tight for me by now! (so now it's got itself a second life.) u did it proud, mummy-dear!  i think perhaps it was made for u. ;)

-i bundled myself into a scarlet suit and some golden bangles just as e rest were getting ready to leave. i'd painted my henna the night b4, so one less job to do ;) 

at that point my dh came through the door, greeted by a home full of familiar and unfamiliar faces. good timing on his part too... cos 3 seconds before, kynan had come running in his underpants through the house to get to me in my bedroom...clutching at his mouth in pain. another kid broke the news on his behalf.  "he'd knocked his tooth out while getting dressed."

it was his 1st and he wasnt too happy abt it!  it hurt a whole lot more than he'd expected. "did u swallow it?" i asked...  head shaking still holding mouth and rubbing at eyes... i guess that's a 'no'?  phew, luck was on his side... the tooth fairy mt still be able to pay him a visit! ;)  a few moments later, the grinning explainer' comes running back in, this time bearing the tiny tooth in his hand.

after promises of an ice lolly later, ky finally gets himself together enough to get dressed and we meet the entourage, patiently waiting outside the front door.  mmm, what's an event without a bit of drama thrown in? ;b  it certainly will make this night memorable in more ways than one!

-as we leave, i notice my dh calmly reach to start tidying up. tq my dear! after a long day at work i know this probably isnt wholly what you'd like to come home to. tq so much! tq for helping me and bearing with my quirkynesses...

-we walked to dadima's (granny's-) house and arrived there ard 6.30+pm, abt 15-20min's later than i'd planned...but well u cant hurry e young ladies when it comes to dolling up their hands and feet for the occasion! and not-forgetting e drama of knocked out teeth!  apologies to those mummies who arrived late... did it seem like i was chasing u out the door?... i wish we had more time... i noticed one of u had just started on a beautiful butterfly rangoli. (u left it behind.)  i promise we shall finish it for u and give it pride of place in our home for a few months/ or mb a year or ten.  we walked along e roadside like a royal procession... 2 or 3 of the most excitable boys (along with a lovely little sister in hot pursuit) ran ahead, climbing up e slopes and running down again...all in their royal robes no less!.... what a sight!  it sure has left a lasting memory.... ah the sweet freedoms and joys of youth!

-dadima probably didnt know what was about to hit her when we came through the doors. her home exploded into a hubbub of lively chatter and shrieks and mayhem. e kids soon settled down with some juice and cake and treats. which kept them all happily quiet for a while... perfect timing to grab granny and get her to share abt the festival's cultural importance. my sil and i meanwhile scurried here and there topping up drinks glasses. tq my dear! and tq dadima for doing a wonderful job at teaching the youngest kiddies, to e oldest of us mums.

-light-up time was at 7pm sharp and the kids helped put the candles in their respective places. the older ones lit their own outside w one of their mums supervising, while e littlies brought light to the darkness of the balcony. even the youngest got a chance to hold e candle and see their little flame come to life. what a magical experience thatlit up their eyes and glowing faces.

-as we came in, granny had e curry on e heat, and took out e atta to start on the rotis. the kids sat to watch, and as they started getting a bit rowdy, i passed them each a ball of e stuff with some dry flour on a plate, and they set to making their own mini-rotis. this seemd to hold their attention for a long while. a bit like playing with playdough...just stickier and trickier! ;)  once they were all happy with their shapes, they lined them up to be cooked on the stove-top, then left to relax and  chit-chat and enjoy a few shrieks. :)

-mummies were comfy on the floor with kids nearby... a perfect time for a shiny-bright singalong. e kids picked up quickly and sang so nicely. an easy song that they cd all feel a part of... about letting their lights shine in their very own neighbourhoods and wherevr they go. by changing the words of a traditional song slightly, we were able to cut across religion, and come up with something meaningful for each one, no matter what the culture or creed.

-dinner was ready afterwards...e cutest mini-rotis served to e kiddies as they sat in a large circle... roti with ketchup and butter and chicken drumsticks. some were brave enuff to try e veggie curries too. all gave a big thumb-sup to granny's cooking! :b "veery good indian food" one of the mummies said. so good her dh enjoyed too!..."5 rotis!" mil said later... "never seen such before!... he realllly can enjoy!" ;b so she's invited him back anytime ;)

-when the last child finished eating, we all donned our shoes, picked up our candle-sticks, and headed out e door for a candlelit walk through the nearby gardens. we headed down the stairs to burn up some energy (and more imporatntly, to prevent them setting their friends' clothing and hair alight!)  they put their singing voices to good use once again as we made our way snaking along e pathways. some residents smiled as we passed. (an unusual night-scene in their locale ;))  our destination was e top of a hill, dark and lightless. we congregated there and sat briefly, ending our song and saying our farewells. it was poignant to see the cute faces, from e tiny tots to those on the brink of teenagehood, glowing in the light of their candles. the shadows and light made them seem so perfect in God's creation.  and when it came to blowing them out, they chose rather to let them shine on. e eldest lead the pack to blow out together, but ended up re-lighting his instead. :) even the tiny tot who sooo wanted to blow all e candles out at the start, completely didnt want to blow out his once the night had come to and end. there's something so beautiful and enchanting about fire... even the youngest kids unknowingly felt it.

-some of e mums and dads had left earlier. some stayed on for e walk. whatever the timing, sharing the day with them and the kids was wonderful.  it felt like no-one wanted to say goodbye. so after everything a few of us stopped momentarily at e foot of e block, perhaps willing the time to go on.. almost not wanting that feeling of joy and peace and universal love to stop... was it only me who felt this? my kids said they did too... just a very very special day.

this last sat was a fun and tiring day....

we had to meet at 1.30 at e venus drive carpark. from there e kids were dxopped at a 'guard houuse' of some silly club's "private road". they walked along e road and up through some long grass before heading into e trees. from then onwards it was relatively cool because of e shade. e pace was pretty fast, so unfortunately e kids didnt have time to observe e scnery, s.low down, spot wildlife, study leaves and plants and native trees and bushes. we went past a beautiful little stream qt a long way in and i wd hv loved to hv stopped to let e kids kick off their shoes and paddle a bit. another mum suggested we shd come back to do just that. ah great,  but then we'd need e dads to help with the ferrying, esp for those with younger kids. but worth trying again... perhaps we shd arrange it with the homeschoolers one saturday :)

we got back to e venus carpark at ard 5.30pm. we were one of the 1st couple to arrive as we'd set out a few minutes ahead of the rest. dh carried kayla on his shoulders almost half the way, so he was really exhausted. he'd stepped up his pace so he cd get back sooner :)  i'm glad he decided we shd all go along and that he'd help with her. it wwas good for all of us. 

at e field behind the carpark, e new scouts were going to hv their investiture, while some others were getting badges. our 2 got their bronze arrow badges, which my hubby thot was very unfair, since he'd taken a long while to earn his through the school ;) kay was so cute the way she did a wonderful sharp salute when she got hers. she must hv bn observing the others. :) so glad i caught it on video! :b

by 6.30pm we were all itching to go for dinner. kay was really hungry and kept nagging us to go get food. so we didnt even hv time to stop and chit-chat w e other parents. after dinner at T/Plaza. we headed straight home. no time for stories... just a kwik bath and straight to bed. kay slept super fast, ky after, and i was in bed by 10pm. yes, i felt truly exhausted. (slept ard 3/4hrs only e nt b4 as e kids were having nightmares and allergies, so i had a good excuse to be tired ;)) 

what a busy tizzy day we had!

wild wild wet:

we took e mrt to pasir ris, and hoped to take e free bus from there, but it wasnt running over lunchtime. so we took bus 354 instead. the kids were happy. it was a cheap short ride. only 2 stops. had it not still bn drizzling we wd have walked.  we had a picnic lunch under a quiet walkway when we arrived. it was a peaceful time while waiting for our friends.  we cd see e waterplay area alongside and kynan was very excited each time he heard the warning bell before the bucket tipped. he was soooooo looking forward to going in. he cd barely control his excitement while waiting for our friends to finish their lunch ;) 

this was to be a very special outing for the kids. we hv never gone b4, and wd not hv afforded it otherwise. we had wild wild wet tkts from buzz news-stand that got all e kids in free. i tried getting a 1-for-1 discount with my dh's ntuc card but they wdnt allow it w/o him, so i ended up getting a smaller discount with my bb-bonus card. i paid $11. we had a friends kid with us who also got in free, but as his mum wasnt going to be swimming, they took her i/c and let her kp going in and out every 20min. she was very patient and actually kept it up. (i sure wdnt have! ;))

lazy river was kay's best bit. while i think e boys liked e slides. ky enjoyed 'tube-surfing' at e wave-pool too, but the others were too scared to venture far. at e jacuzzi e water was slightly too cold to enjoy, (due to the drizzly weather), but still, all picked up the courage to go behind the waterfall. :)

we stayed in the water from opening time until abt 6+pm. i'd brought some showergel along, so bathed the 3 of them there-and-then, myself included. then we headed for dinner at e-hub: fish and chips and hotdogs. thereafter we planned to use up our 5free tkts for the ferris-wheel.  alas, we were informed that they werent accepted for use on fridays. i really didnt want to dissappoint the kids as they'd bn longingly ogling it the whole day...waiting for the lights to come on b4 they went on. i explained to the young chap there and he was so sweet as to give us all a ride. telling us to kp out tkts for another time. what a wonderful day to end a day! (and so different from our experience at the www tkt booth. thumb up for customer service with a heart!

oh and did i mention: when we arrived much earlier in e day, we swung by explorerkids:

it gave us something constructive to do while waiting for our friends.  sorry M that we had to go w/o u... but e timing was not rt...mb nxt time :)  i had only 1 tkt that entitiled one adult and 1kid to free entry. so i thought i'd pay for 1 more kid and enjoy something special for this one time that we were there. at this place i cd use my dh's ntuc card, which was great, and signed up for kay as a member on the spot...not so cheap... but it entitled her to cheaper rates than the general public on that day, aaaaand with cheaper rates until e age of 12yrs. (so i thot it mt be helpful for nxt year wen ky goes to school...mb a change of scenery now-and-then for kay....)  no problem with getting her card, except that i had to come back 3x upon their request before it was finally ready at 7.30pm...

reg e "free" coupon for ky and myself... that's where we had some 'issues'.... the middle-aged lady manning the booth informed me that it was actually a mis-print by sph, and that their managemnt from that very day when we'd arrived, was only allowing them to give 50% off.  i told them in no uncertain terms that it was false advertising and the legal merits of such. furthermore, that any miscommunication or loss of income shd be settled btwn them and sph, and not btwn them and the customer. :)  the poor old lady was not qt sure what to do with this terrier of a woman, so she past me up the line.  when the manager came by, before i cd say ver ymuch, she assured me that it was all a misunderstanding and that the tkt was really valid. but somehow i felt they were really just trying to pull a fast-one on their customers.  :(   mmmm....

none-the-less, we were happy to finally be inside. but a little dissapointing i thought, while looking over the place. for the price, it really is qt a small area. there was one large 3d maze with a few slides, a small rock-climbing wall, a walk-through 'cave', a white ball-pool, and a small toddler play-area with some foam rockers and a square metre or so of colourful balls.  there was another ball-cannon fenced-in maze area that cost $5.50 extra per child. also, a small 'tree-top-type' climbing area with obstacles to balance/step on, that stood abt 1metre up from the ground. that also cost an extra $5.50 per child.

alongside we spotted a small ice-rink. no charges were on display, but i imagine they mt hv bn steep, as there was no-one enjoying it the whole time we were there, nor later when we walked past for our dinner etc.... both kids were keen on e ice-skating though. so mb nxt time (they dont know it yet, but it's the last treasure on the chart ;))  [the chart has long been finished, as has the troublesome behaviour, but i wdnt let them open it until we'd found a place to enjoy the 2nd treasure: bowling.]

so on our way to dinner, we swung by e bowling alley at e-hub.

we'd heard games were only $2 each. unfortunately all the lanes were taken up, and there were 19ppl in the queue waiting. we didnt bother to wait. 'were pointed in the direction of a small kiddie-bowl play area hidden away in a corner. this is where there were $2 games. we gave e kids 2 games btwn the 3 of them. it was fun for them to chuck the balls. they raised their hands up in 'victory' poses each time they knocked a good number down. small and cheap... and they semed genuinely satisfied that they had got their dues. (like i said, a few months back they had earned the bowling session through 1 month of super-good behaviour. it was charted on a treasure-map with the reward written on a folded-up piece of paper in a sealed-up chest at e end of e pathway.)  they hv bn very patient while waiting, and i'm so glad it cost me only $4.  (much cheaper than e previous movie outing we had!)

so tq so much to Aunty Elz who kindly informed us of all these wonderful ways to have fun on the cheap!!!  and tq to Aunty SM and little M for accompanying us. it wdnt hv bn the same w/o friends... and M, u were so so brave to go down all those slides. u even got so brave that u starting going down w/o any of us! wow, u really surprised me! 

it was a super-dooper day!  daddy was so kind to fetch us all after his course, and kay was happy to finally settle down for a snuggle and some well-earned peace-and-quiet.  we all came home exhausted and slept v v v well! 

and cd we hv a nice rest e next day? no way!...we all put on our walking shoes and went for a looong hike along the hsbc treetop-trail with the scouts. but more of that in e next posting :)

ky was very excited abt our last zoo visit...

the new playground has opened and he was very impressed. so-much-so that he came home and drew a beautiful picture of it. the next day kayla was making a book about "feeding time at the zoo", and kynan wanted to make a book too. so i suggested he write about his outing and use his picture as one of the illustrations. as he'd already typed up the words for kay's book, he wanted to do the same for his own story... so this is what he wrote. (it took him almost 2hrs on the computer)

"My Trip To The Zoo 

On Sunday we went to the zoo.   

We saw the white tigers and the rhinos.  One rhino was sleeping and one baby was drinking milk. 

We were hungry.  So we went to find food.  Then we saw a play area.  We were very happy.  We ate first then we went to the waterplay area.  It was awesome! And there was a big big big bucket!  I stood under the bucket and thousands of litres of water fell on my head and I was very happy.  I played there until a storm was coming.   

We had to run to the drinks stall.  We waited by the fishpond.  It didn’t stop.  

So we changed into our swimsuits. 

Then we went under a groundsheet and walked back.  We sat in a very deep puddle. It was the greatest day ever!!"

***the words that he'd originally mis-spelled were underlined for him, so he'd yell at me in the kitchen to check why.  i'd then help him sound it out phonetically, as i continued with my chores. he'd get it eventually... and by the end of the write-up, he was starting to remember the 'strange' combinations -like th/ sh/ ch/ ing/ nk/ ng/ ck/ ed/ es/ er/ ou/ ea/ ee/ and the y-ending.

here are a few cute ways he spelt some of the words: (it's like reading a new language ;))

dringking- drinking/  babe- baby/  olso- also/  rhinose- rhinos/  playd- played/  hungary- hungry/  orsum- awesome/  dringksstal- drinks stall/  fispond- fishpond/  chanjd- changed/  pudel-puddle/  gratst- greatest  :)

Kynan wrote about his family this week. he used the same little notebook that he'd picked up and written in at granny's almost a year ago.  he gave each family member a page of writing accompanied by a cute picture of them opposite.  he wrote about one family member per day. each write-up and picture took him 30-40min to do)  no changes made.

"ME

My name is Kynan. I am 6 years old.  I like to rollerblade and ride my bike. I also like to skateboard. I like horses and monkeys.  If I were a monkey, I would swing in the trees. My favourite foods are bacon and pot-noodles.   (***i dont make pot-noodles by the way ;) ...he steals his daddy's!***)

My Dad

My Dad's name is *. He is * years old. He likes to read newspapers in the morning. He likes to eat pot-noodles and fish curry with prata. He likes to swing me around by my hands. It's fun!!

My Sister

My sister's name is *. She is 4 years old. She likes to bikeride and rollerblade. Her favourite animal is a pony. Her favourite colour is orange. She doesnt like mashed potato and she's scared of snakes

My Mum

My Mums name is *, She is * years old. She likes to watch reality shows when every one is a sleep.  She also teaches us homeschool in the day time. She gives us baths and reads us stories. She lies with me before I sleep. I like it and it makes me feel happy."

jan 2008 (age 6yrs): kynan writes simple sentences about his family, while alone at granny"s...

"-Mama is a butterfly.

-Bal is a bull.

-Mama is a cat.

-Bal is a Tiger.

-Kayla is a turtle.

-Karram is a bee.

-Sheen is a fish.

-Joshua is a cowboy.

-Kynan is a cowboy."

kynan, u know that 'big-school' starts in less than 3 months.

we hv achieved many things this year:

-we've done the 2 english workbooks that i wanted u to complete for the year. 

-u know abt verbs/ nouns/ adverbs/ and adjectives.

-we've fnshed e 2 math workbooks that i wanted u to complete for the year. 

-u can coomfortably add/ subtract/ and multiply.

-u can do divison using montessori beads.

-we've touched on higher level problem sums/ and u r doing well on mental arithmatic.

-you've almost finished yr home-made dictionary. (letter 'w' now) ...complete with alphabetical Bible verses that you've copied down/ coupled with a deeper understanding)

-copywork has helped yr handwriting improve in leaps and bounds/  it's also helped u to observe spelling blends and good grammar in context. the routine of this excercise was diffcult at first, but it has made writing easier for u.

-we have not done any 'spelling' as such. just a few word-building games now and then... it seems to have worked for u..

-i finally started u on writing this last  week. (well we've done cards and tq notes/ and some stories u dictated to me.....but nothing regular. :) so i thought u were abut ready.

-you've started writing about yr family members and yrself. i'm impressed. u had no confidence in yr writing/spelling skills.... but u want to do it right every time now  (even tho i say that  'child spelling' is acceptable :) ... but you'll keep checking back with me.  and now just by sounding out, you're actually managing amazingly... and better-still... yr remembering some of the funny blends/ and starting to write them as if u knew them all along. well done my big boy! u hv really surprised me :b

-b4 e end of e year  i want u to gain more confidence verbalising... so we wiill be doing some puppet shows/ and putting on a weekly show-and-tell. :) if i'm very adventurous, mb i can succeed in getting u to sing for us/ or recite some poetry too? :)

-yr chinese teacher says yr singing e chinese songs now qt confidently. it must make u happy to see yr progress... cos u were so pleased last week to tell me that you'd sung the loudest! :) i can hardly believe it! :b

-daddy is doing a malay story with u some nights. so by jan yr vocab shd be slighty better than it is now.../and yr teaching me a bit too!  tq! :)

-i stlll hv a few moral ed classes that i'd like to run through b4 u go off. and aunty A says mb u and A cd get together to learn more abt 'the birds and e bees'.   ('rather get the facts from yr mama than yr friends rt? ;-))

-and on the sporty scene:- 

swimming: yr breast-stroke is coming on well. you've just bn shifted to a higher level class. it's earlier so i'm happy....but you'll be a bit sad to leave yr friends... esp the girls who like u so!  from next week you'll spend haf the lesson learning freestyle. so hopefully you'll hv some level of proficiency b4 u go to school. i like this coach. he's got a great deal out of u in just 6months.. his style is very gente but he knows when yr ready to move forwards...

gymnastics: u may be ready to move to levell 3 come jan. i'm not sure whether to lv u with this lady coach though.. she's good and u respond well to her sweet disposition.  i notice yr happy to hv J in yr class too. yr very good at entertaining the girls u like.  i cant say the boys feel the same way though :)  (and from what you've told me the feeling's mutual!)  so where wd u want to be? compete with the big boys in the man's class/ or relax and show-off to the girls in yr present scenario? ;)

it's all fun still...let's keep it that way as long as we can ya?

oops i almost forgot!.. let's finish our world-map book ok? .. and make those tooth-fairy boxes b4 yr teeth start dropping ;) ..oh and start working on yr scout badges b4 u get too bz with school...

anything else we've not done that u so wanted me to?... ;)  mmmm rock-climbing and 10-pin bowlling...

i hv just donated 3,500 grains of rice. and it only took abt 10min of my time.

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

its catchy, i am gonna let ky hv a go jus for e fun of it... mb can convince my dh too! :)  

check it out... it tests yr vocab/  and e points u earn are sponsored as rice for e poor.  what a novel idea...

today was one of those smiley happy days...

athough ky and i are recovering from e flu, we all woke up cheery and  i set about tidying the kitchen b4 e homeschool playgroup arrived. e mums had time for a chitchat b4 class started, while e kids watched a short cartoon.  always nice....

class was a winner today... mb it was e combination of activities:-  definately worth remembering... :-)

we started off feeding a little lion that i'd transformed from a small square box. they each had to correctly count out 5 then 10 flat pebbles/ "lion food" ;)   they enjoyed this tremendously, esp when i gave a big roar each time, saying the lion was still hungry. it was so amusing... they just *had* to imitate me!  i  encouraged them to speak up loudy while they counted so they cd more easily be heard.  then the quietest little boy said a few of his numbers so loud that it actually made me jump! and kynan jumped too! so funny, we both looked at each other in delight, hardly beieving such a big voice cd come from such a little person!!!

-finger-painting pictures of vegetables followed, and they learned to trace and write the letter "v".  two little boys were happy that there were brushes on hand so they wdnt hv to dirty their fingers ;) awww... 

-then we went on to do an action poem about planting seeds in soil, and how they are grown, harvested and made into bread. a very very sweet rhyme... i'd love to video the kids next time cos they did such a good job of saying the words and doing e actions at e same time.  it was so so sweet!  one of those memories that will last a long long time...

-afterwards i asked them if they liked to eat 'kang kong'. they did...and were very excited to hear that they cd plant their own organic hydroponic kang kong seeds. (thank you so much aunty E for giving us these!)  when they heard that they cd take them home once the leaves were growing, litte A clapped his hands with joy, while little M did a happy dance!  they followed the pictures on the instruction sheet and each had a turn to help at every step. it was amazing to see how something so simple cd hold their attention so deeply.  things of nature really are something special for kids....

-we then moved on to decorate laminated mealtime picture-prayers.  they used markers to draw their own pictures on the backs and put in pretty borders ard the edges of the front. voila!... a new table-placemat to take home, and mom n dad can help them recite e simple prayer at mealtimes...

-as we were doing 'v' for vegetables...what better time than to go vegetarian! each child made their own luchtime pizza using tomato & mushroom base with cheese and herb topping. some were even brave enuff to add crushed black pepper!  they looked and smelled amazing! on the side we all had fresh organic baby carrots, and yummy apple wedges.  they also decided to each save half for their big brothers to try. i thought that was very sweet...

-while cutting up their pizzas, they learned halves, quarters and eighths.  it qt amazed me that even the youngest understood the concept...

-after lunch they dissappeared to e entrance hall to do some free play cookery..... pots and pans, fruit n veg, plastic crockery and cutlery, chopping boards, washing bowls and strainers, muffin-pans, cooking shelf, the works!   they spent the remainder of their time together at this spot until their mummies needed to leave... and what's more they even tidied up nicely all on their own! :)

chinese class followed and kay decided to take a break. she used the time to pl;ay with her friend I's little sister F, and of course hv a little milk snack. (in a carton of course ;))

we were happy to hv Aunty L and her 2 littlies come over for dinner and some painting. it was a real treat to end the day in calm and pleasant company!  thank you Aunty L, I and F for making our day extra-special... the kids and i sure hope u can come and play again some time soon!... ;b

kay has not bn qt herself these last few evenings & mornings. she seems very v tired.

when i look at the reasons, i realise that it's bn a big adjustmnt turning 4yrs and being without a stroller, and still haviing to keep up. she's managed, but she's lookiing exhausted, even b4 the day is started and again when it's over. so today i'm setting things right...

a new plan swings into action tmw:-

a) i aim to put kay to bed 1hr earlier, and b)  give ky 1:1 dad/mom time during that extra hour.

how?:

1 -kay and ky will sitll go in the room together for snuggle-time, but it wiill be at 8pm instead of 9pm.

2- kay will hv her story and ky wll hv just 1 page of his (instead of the whole book). then we'll hv prayers and ky will lv the room. then kay wll hv her milk and fall asleep, hopefully by 8.30/9pm

3 -while i'm with kay, instead of going to sleep early, ky will go to daddy in our room and he wll quietly read him a malay storybook.  (kills 2 birds wiith 1 stone:-  malay finally gets some airtime, and ky gets some much-needed daddy-time) 

4 -when i am done wth kay, i  will take over from dh and finish reading ky his englsh storybook, then settle him to bed.    all being well, ky shd be asleep by 9.30pm.  "cool" says ky when he hears of the plan. "that's fantastic!" he chortels...  :b

....in closing the conversation, i requested that kay for now not be made aware of 'the changes'.....

"no secrets in the family" was ky's immediate come-back. :) dh and  were gob-smacked.

"is it e title to one of yr books?"  i asked dh, befuzzled... "you've dug us into a hole" he responded quietly... "it's not my book".

"no, i just saw it somewhere," kynan said smiling.  "well yr right" i said, smiling back.

"just a trick to get her to sleep early" explained  hubby... helping me out of the hole...  ;)

****yikes, parenting can be a treachorous journey!   now let's see how the new plan goes...

my 2 kids are liike chalk and cheese...so so special in their own ways. and today was a wonderful reminder to me of just how unique each one of them is!

kay woke up all cranky, wanting to sleep in a lot longer, drink milk for a few more hours, and absolutely not have to get out of bed unless carried!  we compromised and eventually she was out the door with kynan as i lay down for a whiile longer. (yes, we 2 are liike peas from the same pod! :))

kynan, on the other hand, rushed straight to the room when called- all bubbly and full of smiles.  and when i emerged from the room a liittle later, he informed me proudly that his sister had made her breakfast "all on her own!" (a 1st :))  and that he hadnt even helped at all!

later, my liittle late-riser got busy, whle kynan did some copywork... she took a whiteboard and marker and proceeded to write some numbers.  she wrote them in ascending order, asking me to help guide her hand in the right direction for the  4&7. "i know what comes next!", she exclaimed as she got to ten. and did she stop there? no, she carried on to fourteen, 'five'teen, and up to 18. every now and then she'd check, "the 1 comes 1st rt? so 16 is 1 then 6 ya? and 17 is 1 then 7?...no don't tell me, i know it is"...  :b  i asked her if she wanted to carry on to 20?...  "no!", she quipped, "Now i want to READ!!!" and that's EXACTLY what she did.... even allowing me to record her for the very 1st time. :b)   as she reads, she reads with expression. simple words, but even when she's guessing them, they're read with conviction. 

kynan lay on the sofa reading too, now and then checking on words which he was capable of reading, but didnt qt want to risk guessing, nor the chore of sounding them out. :)  he knows may words now by sight, but still lacks confidence. he stopped a few times wanting affirmation, trying to make sure i was actually listening. :) i assured him he was doing a fab job, (which he was), and that i was enjoying the story.  that gave him some peace of mind...

not long b4 gym, kynan grabbed his camping scout songbook, and asked if he cd sing me something while i got ready. "sure!" i responded. it was another 1st for me... having him offer to sing ;)  and although he was a tny bit off-key, he did a fab job of reading the words and keeping time...so-much-so that kay cd jump right in and sing along.

she held the tune perfectly, and sang with passion.  the 2 of them were so sweet together, i wanted to whip out my videocam again...but alas the battery was flat this time  :(   so they'll hv to do a repeat-performance for me another time. (it's the 1st time they've atually sung together btw)   and cant not mention hat i was inspired too!   as we headed down the road to gym, we lost all our inhibitions, and belted out some campfire songs at the top of our lungs :) it was the most fun i've had n a long time... totally liberating!

the rest of the day, kynan shone... he performed valiantly in gym and swimming.  stoppiing only to catch his breath now and then. i see him opening up in classes...being the 1st to talk to newbies irrespective of race or nationality, trying to find out more about them. his jokes and lighthearted banter seems to attract friends.  on the downside though, i notice that some of the girls he's befriended, seem rather impatient if he spreads himself too thin...  gettiing irate if he's pre-occupied wiith someone else and doesnt come when they call. :) 

i'm so happy for kynan. it's nice to see him find his own liittle niche.  i found out tday that kcpp lets their kids do swimmiing weekly from p1. this is encouraging for us. so ky wont hv to stop his classes nxt year.  a dad i chanced to sit beside tday, has a p3 girl in the kcpp swim team. she's only bn swimmng since p1 and doing v well iit seems.  he says that kcpp doesnt only choose 'the best' to compete in inter-school events either. they wd rather register a large contingent and give them the experience of competitiion... (unliike most schools who wd only enter those with a sure-fire chance of getting medals.)  in the event that ky doesnt take well to academics, at least he will hv anoher avenue in which to be recognised, and perhaps excel. somehow i believe that God has really put us in the right place at the right tiime... and it leaves me feeling a whole lot more optimistic abt next year.

hooray!!! for new beginnings for our little chalk and cheese!

my dear kynie, life is all about growing. and as yr learning day by day, sometimes growng hurts us. it hurts in different ways for different people. it may be in the spirit, mind, or body....  so where does growing hurt u?

i've observed that yr always full of bruises. and you've got so used to them it seems, that half the time u dont even know how they happened!  and yes, that even goes for e enormous ones on yr ribcage, yr tailbone, as well as e usual line-up on yr shins...  ;)

and sometimes u hv muscle pulls, spasms, aches and pains after a rigorous gym or swim session. eg. just these last few days u'v bn having a sore neck that's kept u lying awake... then just last nite u cdnt sleep and complained of "a sore pain in my heart. like a sharp pain and squeezing". u clutched yr chest as u bent over grimacing for well over an hour, sometimes quieting yr groans in a pillow.  it was pretty strange how it came on so suddenly in the night. 

well, after figuring out that it wasnt yr asthma, i let u sit beside me on the sofa for a while thinking abt what to do next.  yr heartbeat was racing but it was too fast for me to count. (and in my mind i was quietly wandering if we'd be sitting in a&e in a few hrs time, but i quickly put it from my thoughts. 

i was trying to figure out if there's the slightest chance that an at-risk kid cd hv a heart-attack after an excessively strenuous day? i know yr cholesterol is above normal from yr last episode, but otherwise these things dont happen to perfectly healthy 6-yr-olds rt?)  well, my sanity overcame me, so i silenced my thoughts and said a prayer for u.  then i felt peace that all wd be well, and we both watched some tv to help as a distraction. 

it worked...  until i wanted to sleep, but by then the pain was across yr chest and left side, (which reminded me btw of when daddy pulled a chest muscle while lifting weights. u were both holding yr chests in the same manner ;))  so i came to the conclusion that you'd probably hurt yrrself during the trampolining again, mb u jerked suddenly during that new move?

well i gave u some panadol, took u to my bed and propped u up beside me (it's meant to put less strain on the heart ya?... ie less blood volume to pump? or so the nurse told me when i had my funny turn :b)  .. then i settled down beside u and held yr hand until we both fell asleep... on top of each other!.

in the morning u said no more about it... so i'm gathering it's all back to normal :)  ...but the day presented itself with new trials:  since waking this morning you've bn sneezing and snotting and itching alllll day! even in the pool u actually sneezed while coming up from under water, spluttering as u surfaced. u poor kid... none of e meds helped and yr allergic nose remained sore, red, blocked and drippy, and infuriatingly itchy! u wanted to yell out about it qt a few times and u nearly did, along with almost rubbing yr nose rt off the surface of yr face!!!... but u listened to me instead and kept yrself composed. :)  well done!

 rt now i dunno what all this is about my boy.  but somewhere, some day, you'll discover that there's meant to be a purpose to it all.

mama's biggest hugs in the meantime!

i luv camping trips.they bring back fond memories of my childhood.

this last w/e, the kids had a scoutcamp at east coast. alas it was only 1night/ 2days, so hardly enuff to even get in the swing of things. the kids slept terribly late because of all the goings-on...kay 11/11.30pm. ky ard 12.30/1am. they suffered once they got home, but that's a whole 'nother story :) nxt morning we were all up at 7.30am. (oh did i mention i'd slept at 3/3.30am? :)  yes, a few of us chatted til way past our bedtimes... but it gave us a good laugh!...

when all the others had gone home after lunch, i took e chance to take e kids for a loooong walk. it was a time to re-focus ourselves. dh wanted us to go home rather than stay a nite on our own, so i was tryng to make e most of our short time away from e 4walls. he met us ard 5.30pm, so we headed back for a picnic dinner.  stretching out on mats, e kids chit-chatted abt the camp, then sat quietly enjoying the birds and the sounds of the trees above us as we greedily dug into some pasta. it was peaceful there on the grass, (while dh put away the tent in the distance...then hurried to get us all home). 

camping together is something that brings us so close together, the kids and i. it gives us tremendous peace.  i wish dh wd join us for e whole experience, and just be able to give in to it.  perhaps big city folk find it more difficult...?  imho it's nice to be in a tent together with no diistractions. little things like story-telling in e dark, somehow bear such greater significance.  for me it also means no set times for things, and no set things to be done (except the mundane such as feeding ourselves of course)  and as kynan said so aptly: "i didnt have to wear shoes for 2whole days!!!" 

now wot cd be better? :)

well, on an end note....some considerate neighbours wd go a long way to makinng the camping experience even *more* enjoyable, esp late at nite and into the wee hrs of the morning!  which is why east coast is not such a grand camping destination... so back to pasir ris nxt time for us i think.... :b