ky:

-it's not too difficult to do a forward-somersault underwater, mb even 2 if u hold yr breath...

-backward-somersaults underwater are a whole lot more tricky...

-to a 6-yr-old, diving to the bottom of the pool, is like diving to the bottom of the ocean... "just without the sand..."

-if you accidentally hit someone with a stone on the head, it's best you own up...

-some kids just dont have nice words to say....

--if u dont hv something nice to say, it may be best not to say anything at all...

kay:

-don't run up to daddy when he has a cup of hot tea in his hand...

-dont shove siblings when they're eating...

-curdled milk *does not* taste nice...

-try not to sneeze while eating rice...

-3yr-olds *can* learn to walk in rolerblades (if they really want to!)... & a good trick to make big brothers drool... ;)

-leaking glow-sticks are scarey when they get on your hands...

-sweet & sour sauce tastes nice on fries...

tonight our two littlies got all togged out in their full scout uniiform. ready to go off for their 1st official campfire. they looked so cute with their little badges and name tags stitched on, and played about, putting their caps on backwards, and finding it very amusiing :)

they rushed to have a quick dinner before setting out. kay was sleepy in the car... exhausted from a long day... and too much excitement too, (having shot down a track at 150km/hr in a fancy race-car just a few hrs earlier!... formua-1 fever! ;)

well, back at the scout campsite, we had a quick walk-about exploring, while waiting for e rest to finish their dinner. e actual fire proceedings started half an hr late,  (which felt like an eternity for the littlies... and their parents too! :b)   e wood was doused in kerosene/ lighter fluid, and stank terribly... (very un-scoutlike i thought!... what happened to the good-old fashioned way?/or at least using starter bricks?... not a good way to teach the kids for their own future fire-starter-practice, no?  ;-))

after e fire was burning, there was a loud sing-song that was partly off-tone, ;-)  and was it mb in another language?  we recognised the tunes, but my kids n i just cdnt get the lyrics :) i guess we've got some catching-up to do with the local versions!  (though i shudder at the meanings of some... "scratchy my itchy b*ckside" is one-such line that was certainly very clear!  isnt it funny how such words are so easily remembered by kids. or not~.  kynan just raised his eyebrows wide-eyed in my direction when he heard it repeated... :)

the foreign visitors from Taiwan and Thailand, put on some dance performances for us.  the teenage Thai dancers were probably the most beautiful part of the campsite that day!  ;-b   they were followed by another hodgepodge of clapping and songs. by this stage the humidity and e heat from the fire were really getting to kay. it didnt help that she was just starting to feel yucky from her mmr jab a few days back... and silly me had left her panadol at home. ah well, there was some distraction thankfully.

kynan seemed rather bemused by the whole event, and sat wide-eyed and silent, as he looked about at the many faces and sounds...  by ard 8.30pm he started complaining that he was hungry, and i knew then that he wdnt last much longer. so we left ard 9pm, when another friend was heading home with her little one.

along the way we picked up some prata and fish-curry for kynan (his request), and dh was drooling just at the thought. kay fell asleep not long after leaving... and lies still in her scout uniform, with only her shoes removed :-)  

today we joined the greater h/s community for a combined outing to e s'pore heritage fest.

now persoanlly i'm not one for remembering war heroes, nor for packaging "fighting" as something to be proud of. so i was a bit concerned about e content of this fest, and what/how it wd be presented.... but i thought, "well, give it a try...but be prepared to walk away."

so what did i think? the puppet story was a bit too gory imho. likewise e mention during storytime, of "a soldier who was strung upside-down from a tree and tortured by being poked in the side with bayonets",  (app they'd bn divided up into diff groups so the presentations cd be made more "age-appropriate". i never saw this happening though... i'd put both my kids in e 4-6yrs group. i was worried about what e grp of 7-9+yr-olds mt be told!)

the fabric collage craft session i found to be the most "safe". kayla's hero was "tiger my cat, cos he's very fierce but friendly".  kynan was stumped and cdnt think of any one hero he'd like to represent... so eventually he just chose something neutral: superman :-)

it was nice to see some familiar faces.... mums & kids we've known from our old playgrp, from chinese class long ago, from montessori now, and even from scouts...  it's indeed a small world here in s'p!

***1 important nugget of knowledge we brought home with us today, is that  you dont hv to be a fighter, to be a hero.  we learned 3 examples of this...

-Elizabeth Choy took care of the needs of e other prisoners when she herself was suffering. this was a selfless act. she was a heroine. we too, can take care of the needs of others around us~ in our group of friends, in our communities, in our homes...even if we think we feel worse  than them... ie less strength, less money, less time...  sill we can rise above these, for the good of those around us!

-another chap, a teacher with a strange long name, got together some men to build a wall to protect this country against the japanese army. they did not fight. they had drive and determination to find another way... that was heroic. this goes to show that smart thinking can be more useful in getting us out of trouble, than fists or weapons.

-a young mum sacrificd her life for that of her loved ones~ her children. she performed a heroic act by warning the eldest, and then pushing the youngest aside as she saw a truck plumetting towards them on a road-crossing. (my ds knows this story as i read it to him from the papers recently)  so risking one's life in the process of performing a selfless act, is obviously something heroic. it also points to the fact that we can be little heroes in our own lives today, just by doing what is right and good at that time...and without always putting ourselves 1st!  (even if we dont qt sacrifice our lives for it!)

this last Sat, saw myself and e kids share a lot with Aunty Y at Big Splash, East Coast. it was a swelteringly hot day, traffiic was quiite slow, and it ended in a downpour that drenched us all!

but we had a whale of a time! 

-Aunty A was late arriving, so as we shd hv shared a lot with her, we just set up in the empty space... (she later arrived with e kids, her helper, and Aunty J, who settled abt 5 cars down from us)  the kids clumsily helped lay out their toys (whiich they'd priced and bagged the nite b4) , with me giving them pointers on display :)  their goodies were the 1st to be sold. prices ranged form ard 40c to $4. they each knew what they were selling, and they collected the $ to go into their own separate little 'floats' of small-change. (they'd emptied their wallets into empty pastamania tupperware the night before :))  i dipped into this small change too, while selling some of their old clothes.  ;-)

-when sales slowed down i took them for a walk on the beach. they'd found L, an 8yr-old girl to accompany them (e daughter of another 'booter). as they sought customers to sell temporary tattoos to, it became clear that she was a good help in handling the $, each tiime giving e correct change... (until 3 families approached us all at the same time... then we ALL lost track of who'd paid what as coins changed hands so fast!  luckily  i came to e rescue or they wd have been fleeced! ;-))

-after e success of the tattoo venture, we returned to our stall for some lunch, and in time to sell a few items of clothing and more toys... then the kids retired out of e sun, beneath a den made of tarpaulin, a miniature tent and umbrellas. they counted their takings and i surprised our little helper with a payment for her excellent assistance. after hushed discussion, they came out and requested to spend a few dollars on some lttle plastic cartoon characters they'd spotted. how cd i say no, esp after they'd worked so hard!? :b so the next hour they spent going to-and-fro between a neighbouring stall and ours, as they made their prized purchases and exchanged them umpteen times after they spotting small defects.  ;b

-as the sun moved across the sky, kynan grew bored with his new toys, and noticed Aunty Y's relative blowiing balloons.  he asked if he cd pitch in to help, and before long all e kiids were all at it, even kay. balloon sales were slow at e stall, so ky asked Aunty Y if he cd go and try sell them at the beach. (he was hoping for a cut of the takings i guess.... they learn fast!)  i followed at a distance as they ran full of smiles and bundles of excitement, towards familiy groups, big bunches of balloons billowing behind them in the wind.   "you wanna buy a balloon?...2 for a dollar...1 for 50c?!" ...they called out in a chorus as they lined up from big-to-small before their bemused listeners .  many times they were turned down, but they were pesistant in spite of the heat, and happily returned empty-handed with a container full of change.

not long after, they went out again. this time, those ppl who had said no earlier, came up to buy of their own accord... they'd changed their minds it seemed. some earlier buyers even came for seconds, (after their rowdy kids burst their earlier buys). :b this was a happy scenario for the kids!  kay was selling the little ones the 2nd-time around, and sweetly ran as fast as her little legs wd carry her... trying desperately to keep up with the rest... then singing softly after their speel "u wanna buy some little balloons. 2 for 50c?"  the 3rd time out, she was the 1st to sell all of hers... at one stage a happy customer requested a ceratin one and she piped up "no u cant have that one!" to which kynan added "yes he can kayla, give it to him..." / "no he CANT" she insisted, "i LIKE that one!"  / "yes kayla, but we're SELLING them." kynan persisted...  it's not FOR U!  u HAVE to give it to him!" ...to which kay sheepishly handed it over.

-the kids later admitted that selling the tattoos and balloons was the BEST bit of the whole day. a truly memorable expereince for them. their only regret is that the rain came down b4 they had another chance at going out to sell more tattoos. "i'm sure there'll be another time," i consoled... :-)

-rain? yes, 1st sunburn, then a cool breeze, and then the rain... it is an amusing memory for me... at ard 5pm the heavens opened.  we rushed to pack up and shove things helter-skelter into the boot. of course we got drenched, but pleasantly so~ then we warmed up at CJ while waiting for my dh to arrive. Aunty Y's friies really hit the spot! (esp for little kay who was famished... having bn too distracted to eat v much earlier! tq Aunty Y for treating us! 

-later, when dh came to collect us, the rain had stopped and the kids were jumping about in e ppuddles. e rest of our friends headed home, but i thought e kids needed someh ot food in their tummies b4 heading home... so... as the takings had been good, i took our family all to Carls Jnr for a dinner treat...then off we went home for a long hot bath... a very nice end to an extraordinary day...!

yes, when we got back from holiday, we brought our kitty home. granny just wasnt able to manage it longterm. bless her heart, she was so willing to begin with... i think she'd do anything for her grandkids... but she's just not a cat person. so to avoid the strain, back he came.

we've bn so happy since. it's lovely having a new little baby in the house. he's naughty, like any little-ones can be!... gets all angsty when he's been cooped up, or when he 1st wakes up and is hungry or needing someone to play with him. he calms down when he gets to spend time outdoors... and has got lost a few times too!

we had 1 breakthrough a week or so ago when dh carried him down from the window-ledge. (a 1st for dh!) then today another major one... tiger had been 'lost' a few hrs, and i had to put the kids to bed. dh wanted me to go after him, but i informed him that the kids wd still come 1st. (it was already an hr past kay's bedtime and kynan was feeling too ill to sleep) when i got out, i discovered dh had bn out searching... and come back with the little rascal. found him hiding behind a plantpot on e 2nd floor... furtherest he's been yet!  so has dh adeveloped a soft-spot for him?  ;)  perhaps...

some nights he likes to purr on my lap as i sit at the computer. then he'll nip me if i'm not stroking him fast enough (which will get him a prompt time-out if he doesnt stop pronto!)

he's the most gentle with kay. she's had a few nasty nips and scratches though, before he's finally allowing her to carry him here and there...even when he's in a flighty mood!

ky is his best playmate... swinging his toys high and low for him to chase and somersault over... usually quick to move his hands and feet out of striking distance...  :b

........................................................Mozart Experience: National Museum

we went with Aunty J and her brood. e kids hardly stopped to spend time with each other once inside (except perhaps when they locked themselves into the carriage time and again!). we arrived when it opened and it was pleasantly quiet. the kids managed to do everything they wanted when they wanted, except the calligraphy section where they had to wait qt a while. this section was poorly designed. it really shd have offered more seating, perhaps 2 more tables the same size wd have bn more adequate.

kayla loved dressing up. she changed numerous times, and studied herself in the mirror, straightening here and there. then she walked to the bike/carriage to don a horse's head and tried to peddle. later on she requested a moustache and changed to boys clothes. (still with the horse's head on!)  at the calligraphy table she was not too happy at all the giggles and smiles she kept getting...all because of her funny attire! 

we left when some kindy kids arrived and it started to get noisy. timing was perfect for some lunch. but 1st we toured an interesting art installation on perspective. the kids found the swimmer going across the wall to be incredibly realistic. (like they were viewing him rt in the pool!) even i cd appreciate it :) then they headed out and played with their friends in a kiddy-zone. after that, lunch was calling... and a little run-around the museum of course!

when our friends left, we settled down to what turned out to be a rather expensive treat while we waited for the rain to stop. when it finally did, it was only abt 3,.30pm, so we decided to head back to Mozart.  it was very quiet by then... probably about 10 or fewer kids in total.

our kids had lots they still wanted to do... ky decided he was ready to dress up now that it was quieter :) and with fewer eyes looking his way.  after some posing, they headed back to write something for their daddy using the quill and ink. then on to their 2 favourite spots: 1 where they cd pound their own herbal tooth-powder, and another, where they cd make their own healthful teabags. the students manning the booths were very sweet with the kids, particularly the young men. (...mostly from the art college they said.) the kids were treated with patience and given special attention, even allowing them to make teabags for their moms and dads, in addition to their own!  so i got to choose my special mix of ingredients. :)

before leaving, the place was practically deserted, so the kids tried their hand at toys from that era. kayla's favourites turned out to be a wooden hobby-horse that she pranced abt on, making horsie sounds as she went... along with a little wooden wheeled animal on a tattered string, which she pulled here and there.

kynan tried his hand at the wooden spinning tops, actually managing to get some to spin by looping the string ard and then giving them a quick pull. (i wasnt terribly good either). his favourite though, was a wooden hoop which he mastered rolling about the floor with a wooden stick. (him and the hoop ran into a partition wall a few times, but otherwise, success! :))

it was hard to pull them away... i was worried about how bz the mrt wd be heading back during rush-hour... and how cranky kay mt be.   thankfully she fell asleep in her stroller, but with a very moody, pouting look on her face...and still boasting her black swirly moustache! (sure to brighten the way for fellow-passengers i discovered! :))

another very productive day... and more fun for the kids than i'd ever imagined it cd be!

it's still the holidays and we're busy busy busy having fun outings...

Science Centre: Dinasuar Exhibit with lifelike robotic dinasurs.

kids loved this. there was an enormous t-rex outside that drew lots of attention. the ones inside were smaller, but just as eye-catching. what i loved was that they'd gone the extra mile to put up some realistic-looking back-drops. ky told me that it wd be great if their legs cd move up and down off the ground so that they cd actually walk about... "then they'd REAAALLLLY look real", he added. none-the-less, he was so entranced at one section that when i touched him on the shoulder, he very nearly hit the ceiling! we all had a good laugh! :)

.................................................................. Science Centre: Chemistry Workshop.

we signed up on the spot, and discovered that parents were not allowed in. that did not deter kayla. she came back excitedly for her name-tag later on, and holding kynan's hand, dissappeared inside without a 2nd-glance!  so i was left alone to eat my lunch and play with my h/p. :) after abt an hour, they excitedly emerged with a tub of slime which they'd mixed and coloured themselves.... along with a smaller tub of home-made toothpaste "with real minty flavour!" they had to let me know. (this almost caused kayla to puke that night... "too salty/ spicey" 

....................................................Science Centre: Dinasaur Omnimax Movie

the above two were 'free'... ie once yr inside e snce ctr, no other charges apply. omnimax cost extra though, but i think kay got in free.

this was the 1st-time i'd been to one of their movies since kynan was about 2+yrs. he cdnt remember the last time, and kayla had bn nagging me since she's known about it.... so finally we went!

yes, it was dinasaur theme that week for our kids' homeschool, so as chance wd have it, all this was a real bonus! i felt dizzy at times when the scenery moved real fast... so had to close my eyes until it past. (thought it was my age catching up, but kynan told me after that he'd had to do the same. perhaps it was because we were very close to the front?_or?)  kayla was a hoot!... for half the show she kept looking sideways and down at the bottom of the screen, earnestly telling everyone:  "the floor's moving! the floor's moving!" 

e content was good. the kids came away learning a few things they'd not known before. they were sorry when it ended... but the waterplay area was calling loudly... :)

we're just back from a wonderful day out.

mid-afternoon, a few families met at HortPark and took a leisurely stroll along the new walkways to VivoCity. the 1st part was on the metallic bridge and raised walkway above the treetops. i found it to be warmer than i'd expected, although it was overcast. there were some stretches where u cd make use of stairs as a short-cut instaed of a winding ramp.

when it ended at the top, we came to a map on a board. in front of us was a road with a sign saying "waves bridge" to the left, for us to follow a pavement along the road. to the rt was another road with no sign, but also going downhill. in the middle of the two, was a tar slope going steeply uphill into the trees, to the 'hilltop walk". some people we met told us there were "LOTS of stairs" that way, so as we had some little ones asking to be carried (and a stroller), we decided to take the roadside. well, as it turned out, all paths met a little way down the hill...not far at all, (as the stairs wd have bn mostly downhill....on hindsight i think we cd have enjoyed the jungle walk up on the hilltop... had we only known more about it's length and difficulty.

from here, the walk took us through a carpark and up a slight tarred slope to the wooden waves bridge. it was silent as one walked across the planks, which was very condusive to it's peaceful setting. the handrails on the edge were perfectly smooth to the touch, which said vlumes about the exacting quality of its workmanship.  we found it to be wonderfully cool and breezy over the mid-section, so we stopped a while as the kids ran and climbed and slid down the curved sides of the raised seating. it was such fun that one cd tell they really didnt want to move on. :)

after the bridge, we meandered along pavements up to the top of mount faber...passing the jewel box (where e fish-pond cafe had recently been demolished and was now undergoing major construction-works.... so no chance to stop and feed the fishes) . as we started the downhill section, the kids went over to e harbour lookout-posts and had a breather, while we all ate snacks and enjoyed the view.

a little further on and we found a steep set of stairs pointing out e "Marang Trail".... this led all the way down mount faber and came out at the open-air carpark opp harbourfront mall, rt next to one of e harbourfront mrt exits.  so we took this same underpass and came out in the basement of  VivoCity...our final stop.

we headed for the landscaped gardens on the top floor, bought some food, and ate dinner picnic-style as the sun set around us. the kids then stripped down to their undies and frolicked in the water beneath the stars. it was 8pm when we finally packed up and headed home... with all the kids still running about like little monkeys! :)

after-thoughts-

*we'd left Hortpark at ard 3.15/ 3.30pm, and we got to VivoCity at ard 6pm. so it took us ard 2 1/2hrs at a leisurely stroll, and with plenty of rest-stops along the way.

**in the group we had 6mums, 1dad, 1helper, 2x2yr-olds, 2x3yr-olds, 1x5yr-old,  3x6yr-olds, 1x9yr-old, and 2teens. the 2yr-olds needed carrying quite a bit. my girl (3 1/2yrs) requested to be carried 3 times for short stretches...up the steeper slopes. and the other 3yr-old told me that she was "veeeeery tired" as we approached the jewel box. so it was qt demanding for the young ones, though all were still pleasantly contented. those who were 5+yrs had seemingly no complaints about distance. in fact they were still racing after each other as we headed down the final steps of the Marang Trail... (btw, watch out for mozzies on the last stretch... we encountered loaaads as we stopped to sit on a log-bench near the bottom. so wear longpants and put on repellant before heading down.)

***a very doable walk... my kids want to go back to HortPark and the Waves bridge in particular...

aaaah hols are great! most paid classes have been cancelled, so we're veeery free!

and somehow we've been bumping into puppets here, there and everywhere...

today we went to a puppet-show by 'toy box' at tanglin mall. it was great fun! they started with a sing-along and some excercises, then moved on to a seemingly-improvised strorytelling.  all the kids were enthralled ,and the mums were smiling too! it lasted an hour, and at the end we got a $5 gift voucher to use at a nearby toy-store. (no minimum purchase!) apparently this show happens on the 1st mon of every month at 2pm. the only reason we got to go this time is because kyna's gym teacher is away on holiday... else he'd be otherwise-occupied... but i'm sure we'll try be back again in future! afterwards we walked to the botanical grdns and met dh for a picnic... we had a whole roast chicken, sausages, salads, and oranges. it was fab... the kids collected stuff to make a pretend fire next-to our 'camp'. dh was being bitten by mozzies so we didnt stay long...

a few days back we had another fun experience... we had a puppet-making workshop at amk library, and were surprised at the beginning by a short puppet-showt put on by the teachers from 'the little skoolhouse'. now in today's world of perfect-and-polished-everything,... i found the childlike simplicity of the show, tto be quite endearing....

afterwards, the same teachers led little workgroups of kids in making their own puppets of varying style. we only had an hr to spare b4 a zoo trip, but in that time, they watched the show, and then completed 3 puppets each. it was surprisingly peaceful inspite of the crowd, and as we were leaving, i obsereved our kids using their favourite pieces to talk to each other in funny voices. later on when we got home, we even put on a little puppet show behind a sofa cushion. it was very dramatic, with lots of laughter.

neither of my kids are the performing kind... they are simply too self-conscious.  so it was nice to see a little flicker of self-expression as they tentatively tested the waters.

on the offside, i can see my little girl has the talent of voices within her,... from the way she speaks to her animals and makes them relate to one-another. she even speaks animatedly to her food before she eats it! :b now that's something!!!

so i really think i need to just put my inhibitions aside and help them on this bandwagon! :)

a new little boy came to us today.

"now u hv 3 little kids to bath, feed and play with," kynan said with a smile.

we got him at lunchtime. he'd been abandoned at the playground.  before we knew it, his minder was gone. he came straight over, hoping to share our lunch. God had other plans... it started to rain. we looked around and there was no mother, father, nor minder in sight, so we hurried him home with us. what else cd i do? i cdnt exactly leave this lost waif standing there in the rain...

after a hearty meal of chicken, milk and water (no he didnt want the rice), he'd gathered enough  energy to play soccer with the kids. tug-of-war followed. then they took turns to hv him sit in their laps. i so wished i'd had my video/camera, butt dh had accidentally taken my bag in the car with him to work :(

after food, and all the fun and games, as any good baby knows, sleep shd come next. and so it did. he slept from 3-6pm. wow! what a star!...none of my kids hv ever napped that long! when he awoke, he had a snack, followed by a good bath. he squealed at 1st, but after a while he settled down and even let me clean his mucky ears!

then into a big soft towel he went, settling for a cuddle in my lap, as the kids ooohd and aaahd alongside :)  he smelled just like a newborn baby, and they cdnt resist each planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. then he spent half-an-hour trying to dry himself off better tthan i'd done! kynan was especially amazed by his gymnastic manouvres.

playtime came again, followed by dinner, and sleepyhead was soon in dreamland.  the kids were so happy and hyped the whole night.  dinner went without a hitch (kynan even wolfed his down!),  and i managed to wash their hair too.

just as we were heading for the bedroom, the lil one awoke (yes, it was indeed a cat-nap...only 1hr long!), and he just wdnt be left on his own. well dh is completely freaked-out by his presence, so i had no choice but to take him with us.   i thought he'd misbehave and get the kids all worked up, but he was an angel... as storytime started, he settled down in my lap, gave my hand a little nuzzle, then intently  listened to 2 stories with his little head resting sweetly on my knee... his sleepy eyelids were battling hard to stay open.

i had an idea to let him sleep on a cushion beside kynan while i gave kayla milk, but ky complained that he kept wriggling! so back he came to me, making happy sounds as i lay down and rested him on my side. kay reached across and stroked him. in response he moved closer towards her and showed his affection by trying to chew on her hair!  i pulled him back my way, and he finally settled down again, draping himself across my chest. (mmmm yes, very comfy... not!)  but the warmth was rather soothing, esp when his head shifted up to the crook of my neck.  

the peace did not last long though... kay voiced her irritation that his tail kept tickling her fringe! so i shifted him to the other side, and thankfully they were soon all fast asleep... 

i sneaked out e room with the youngest in hand.  just like e other 2, he didnt want to be put down, so i sat with him in my lap while doing computer-work. :) after an hour though, my hand was all sweaty and my arm crooked with a crick. so i put him down... he's now sleeping on the sofa, stretched out like a feline...

so will we keep him?

i'd love to adopt the little cutie...but then i fear that dh (presently thunderous ;))  mt just turn our home into a cyclone-hit disatser-zone! so i'm not taking any chances...

dear granny has come to the rescue: we can take Little Tiger there tmw... to stay. what a gem of an old lady!  the kids are so pleased...cos then they can pop over and see him whenever they want :b (but i mt just manage to sneak him back and forth when all is quiet on the homefront :))

oh yes, in case u were wondering more abt what he looks like...

he's a tabby and white, with the traditional *chopped and knobbed type tail so common on the s'pore ones. his fur is slightly spikey on top, whiich gives him a groovy style. his large pointy bat-ears cd probably help him fly if he fell from a height, but they do nothing for his looks.

oh and the poor thing is a bit scrappy-looking because of his long gangly legs and protruding bones, particularly at his hips. but he's certainly making up for whatever it is he's been without though.... he eats a lot, drinks a lot, and calls out for company... quieting only when he has a warm lap and a hand to cuddle and snuggle... purring contentedly until falling asleep. 

it's hard not to fall in love with him.  :)

we have a couple of small prawns that have been living in our fish tank for a monh or so.  one i removed 2-3weeks ago as he'd been chomping at our tetra...(3 died within 3 days).  since then he's been living in a little container alongside... observing them through the galss as he feeds on algae and food debri. 

i'd planned to release him back to a pond or reservoir... but yesterday i noticed that he was very still. he'd hardly moved in more than a day. (this is strange for 1 who wd normally go into 'attack-mode' towards anything trying to invade his space!)  but  even when i brought a stick near to him, he barely moved...so i thought, "alas, he must be dying."   :(

then today when i woke up, i saw what looked like 2 prawns in there... he'd molted his old skin!... leaving the transparent one behind on a little piece of coral where he'd been sitting so still. now thankfully he's back to normal again! :b

but pondering what i shd do with his old skin... fish it out or leave it there? perhaps he'll eat it? 

this is our count of moults and metamorphosise so far:

-some shells shed by our old hermit crabs,

-4 cocoons which our pet caterpillars vacated,

-a cobra snake-skin found at bishan-park,

-and the present little prawn's cast-off from his wardrobe...

-oh, and not-to-forget a few dozen tadpoles which we'd hoped to see turn into baby frogs... our sucker-fish thought otherwise... he made tasty morsels of them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, finishing off the last 10 or so while we were away on a short holiday!

i find it such fun to have the opportunity to be exposed to all these in our litle home in the city. :)

our little Kynan is burning a real fire in his heart to do sporty stuff rt now..

-this last week he had his 1st official assessmnt/ test of any kind. he was quite psyched about it.  on the day, he had to perform consistently well during his regular 2-hr class, and then was assessed 1:1 afterwards. (kynan doesnt like to 'perform' when he knows someone is watching...so when he took a sideways glance at some mums and kids alongside, i thought he'd chicken-out. but he didnt.) he came through with flying colours, doing some of his best backward-rolls ever!  and he was so pleased to finally get into level2, that he flung himself around my waist and gave me the biggest hug ever! ...and that with his coach but one foot away!!! (unseen of with my little boy, so  i know he was really really pleased :))

it's given me a clearer indication of his style... when crunch-time comes, he'll really try give his best performance...

-he's brought out his rollerblades again, and he's now able to skate down the corrdor without holding on. last week he also did a little trick where he squats down and up again while blading. but now we have a problem... he says he has to curl his toes under when he skates. they're on the largest they can go, but now we've just discovered that's already 1 size too small for him. :(   so now we hv to search for another pair of expandable ones so he can continue this happy streak!

-swimming is still going swimmingly...:)  he's mastered the breaststroke kick, and now he's working on the arm-movements. he's very excited to be swimming properly without any kickboard. (even if it's just a few metres!) i'm so proud of him, cos i know i wasnt doing that at his age!

-dh told him qt a few weeks ago abt the opportunity to try out archery if he was interested. (what a question to ask!  i made him a working bow and arrow set back when he was 4yrs old, and he was able to shoot it well across the room.) and  today he eagerly waited 1.5hrs for his turn. midway through the class, the coach went to katong to pick up a lighter bow for him. it was adult-size, but after a few tries he was able to shoot his arrows beyond the bulls-eye board, 30+metres away. his daddy had to fetch the arrows, so he was trying to give him some excercise by having him walk further!  ;)  he enjoyed the class soooo much, and looked like he was abt to cry when the coach told him after abt an hr that he was done for the day. :(  and in the car he asked us if he cd go back tmw (ie sunday) instead of having to wait another whole week :)  he's turned out to be a left-handed archer...something i failed to notice when he 1st picked it up 2yrs ago.  (i believe his coach is going to try and tempt him to use his rt hand so he can use a regular bow... and that shd be interesting :)) hopefully nxt week dh and i can get a go!  :b

oh yes, and kay is looking forward to feeding the horsies a "whole bag of carrots" nxt week :)

our kids are now "officially" scouts :)

they went with their 2sixes to amk park on sat. once there, they set trails, followed a marked trail set by their co-scouts (all in the rain and w/o getting lost ;))

the best bit for me was that dh joined us for the whole 4/5hrs. this is unheard of in our family. but because it was 1 parent to 1 child, he really had no choice :) it was great as kay really enjoyed being on his shoulders, once she was too tired to walk with me. and really entertained her, giving her special 1-to-1 attention that she craves.

ky was so happy to finally be outdoors with his scout-mates. he's spent too many wks cooped up inside e 4-walls of e scout-hq. he went ard with his buddies, layying trails and going far ahead w/o me. while the dads trailed behind chit-chatting. kynan was really in his element, and had great freedom to do his own thing w/o us, but as a part of a greater team, with purpose and team-spirit. it was fun to see.

ard 5pm, they went through their investiture at e "summit". we took way too many photo's, along with all the other doting parents!

it was very sweet seeing all their buddies in full uniform. kay was e littlest and took her stuffed toy along :) when it came to making e scout salute, she tried deperartely beforehand but cd still only get 2 fingers up. when the assistant scout master asked her to raise 3 fingers it looked like she was going to tear-up... "i can only do two!" she lamented... thankfully he accepted, and merely shifted her nearer e flag as her little arm cdnt reach.  then they turned ard and she did the 2-finger salute to all the parents. kynan was a gem and followed instructions completely, even helping his lil sis to walk the rt direction.

it was a really fun day, but we were all exhausted...at sunset we raced back down the hill, and on to granny's for warm baths and dinner.

 Re Word Doc_ The Passion of Christ: The Easter Story in Pictures
(Bible Verses with Art Study)


hi all,
i've just put something together for my kids re the above. if yr
interested in a copy for yrself and/or yr kids, find it here: IT'S FREE! :))

it's a word doc with 9 good quality photographs of
art pieces, and 19 or 20 Bible verses. (the artists are mostly well-
known/ well-recognised for their work. styles are varied, from
realism to abstract, and also include sculpture.)

the artworks are chosen to stir very real emotions within the
observer, esp when viewed in context of the verses prior. enjoy
these on your own, and/or with your kids. and if you or yr kid/s do
like 1 piece in particular, i'd encourage you to research the
artist/s and try and find out more about their works and their era.

go check it out & enjoy! :)

http://www.mediafire.com/?fro29vdshtn

just go there and click on the box "click here to start download". it
will take abt 25minutes, so go off and do something else in the
meantime :)

Happy Easter to you and yours!

Asian Civilisations Museum:

we went recently on a free-day-admission. it was a wonderful place. the staff were friendly, and full of smiles. they were also helpful in explaining where kids-stuff was located, even things like nearest eating places, toilets, stroller access). the best of e museums that i've yet seen in s'pore. (ie after seeing what this and others hv to offeer,) it's e only one that i wd hv paid to go inside.

for families its wonderful too. on every floor there r one or 2 areas especially for e kids. activities are interactive and well thought out, depending on e exhibits nearby. eg. dress-up clothes, puzzles, a reading corner with english story-books of chinese folktales, smell-boxes, weighing scales with various items to try and balance (our kids loved this the best...had to drag them away!) on another floor, inside a mock bedouin tent, a talking story on a computer screen, (along with a map showing the progress of the characteer's journeys),  and a touch-screen where the kids can try and write letters of a different language.  somehwhere else they cd dress up in a tribal costume, and walk inside a mock-up of a small hut on stilts. more talking stories followed... we spent ard 2.5hrs there and we felt we cd have spent at least another hour or more. the kids were totally engrossed and we wd hv stayed longer, were dh not waiting for us outside!    *a must-see!* (take pencil and sketchpad along, and let the kids draw their favourite bits)

Singapore Art Museum:

we went today on a free-admission-day. two elderly gentleman were seated behind the entrance desk. i asked for information on any special areas of note for e kids, (thinking to myself that something mt be on as it was e school hols.) one of the chaps continued sitting and disinterestingly told me: "no, there's nothing on. nothing for kids. only for adults." as we were about to go through some glass doors, i noticed no prominent signs telling us where we shd start...and that's when i realised i'd not been given, nor seen any maps, only books at the chap's desk... so i backtracked and asked.

'over there'  he gestured, 'the white one'. mmmmmm very helpful. what a vast difference in service to e museum we'd not long visited b4 (ie ACM)  we went on our way exploring here and there. i found directional signs to be absent, so b4 stepping into a room we didnt really know what to expect, ie pottery, abstract, realism. and the whole arrangement seemed rather fragmented. 

-when exiting from an exhibit on e 2nd-floor, we somehow found ourselves to be in a quiet corridor with some locked doors and exhibits which were seemingly closed. at e end we found some large puzzle-boards of optical illusions, just piled up. these were clearly meant for kids, so i just let them jump rt in. when they were done, we continued exploring this 'dead' area. (well we'd looked all over on the map and just cdnt find exactly where we were?) ard e corner were some large animal cut-outs lined up, seemingly in storage. and a sign pointed to some 'kids-lab', but all nearest doors were locked. rather spooky... just then my dh mysteriously appeared out of e blue halfway down our corridor. we followed him and found ourselves back in civilisation...with some nice tactile works of pottery lining the corridor... and a few elderly foreign couples wondering equally-aimlessly. :)

-tried to find e 3rd floor as there was app another exhibit on there... but the lift only went up to level 2, and we never did find any wheelchair signs. after following a maze of corridors, we finally located a toilet... and realised on our way out that our map had gone missing in the twilight zone we passed through earlier. by this stage we pretty much ready to leave... along e way to e lift, we still kept our eyes open for stairs or signs leading to e 3rd floor, but they didnt materialise... so went back to reception, hoping to purchase the "Sasha" storybook we'd seen there.  the chap didnt know e price, wasnt selling them, and directed us to e museum shop ard e corner.

-there was a wedding reception going on. (err, in a museum courtyard?) we had to walk through the well-turned-out guests to get to the museum shop... (rather odd and seemingly inappropriate?...me in jeans with stroller and 2 dishevelled kids in tow)

-e shop was easy to find, but we cd not locate e book that i was after. so i asked e mature female assistant. i explained what i had seen, the title, and that there was a whole range of them. she pointed to 2 different racks and said "this is all we have. the only children's books'. i expalined twice more that her colleague had said they were on sale here. after repeating the title 2 or 3 more times, the penny finally dropped... "aaah, Sassah! ya, we have rt here..." she confirmed as she led me to the opposite side of e shop to a shelf of books all on their own away from e rest. "sorry, i thought i head you say something different." she mused. mmm yes, "Sasha." ....different but the same if one were to get the all-important pronunciation rt! ;)

will i be going back? er no, definately not!

a *great deal* wd need to be done to get it on a par with somehwre like e ACM.

a big dissapointment, even in comparison with other cities around the world of much smaller size, and much smaller in populace and financial standing....still a veeeeery long way to go SAM!

today our 2 little kiddies came back with their 1st uniforms...

...shiny pinegreen polyester shorts, pale mint icecream shirts, cute little stripey caps and khaki socks.

kynan was not very impressed with the style of the top...looks like we work in a hospital! (perhaps he'll be a designer like mummy some day :)  kay on the otherhand, was only too happy to find any stuff that fitted, (well almost!)  she was so chuffed, she wore her cap all ard the shop, while walking to j8, then all through dinner!  she wd have held onto her socks too, had i not hijacked them along the way. and we finally got the cap off her when she had her photo taken for a magazine cover. (another story)

the day at scouts was a little more interesting than usual, though kynan says there was "still too much talking!"  :)  they handed in their record-cards and takings from job-week. (ours washed dh's car, pruned and watered my plants, swept and scrubbed the outside corridor, vacumed the house, and deep-cleaned dh's shower (using toothbrushes and scourers no less! :)) it was a memorable experience for them...esp e elder one who seems to be growing slightly lazy with age ;)) 

after sharing their experiences, the group then went over a poem and song for their jungle book play, followed by a brief talk on first aid by Aunty SM. after that, a more hands-on activity followed... they went downstairs and learned how to lay and read trail markers using natural materials. they seemed to enjoy this, and worked very well together in their teams. we then milled ard in the little shop, trying to find the rt size uniform bits and pieces...for what seemed like forever! dh showed up at just the rt time... as my wallet cdnt cope with the expense! (and that was w/o belts and shoes mind you!) all for a good cause i guess... ('will hv to look into the second-hand market if they're to stick with this!) 

so what lies ahead? at the next meet-up (in amk park), they are to set trails for the other six/ team, and then follow the trails that hv bn set for them... hopefully w/o getting lost!  it shd be exciting. to top it all off...the day shall culminate in their investiture. i'm sure all mums and dads will hv their videos and cameras ready! :b

so cub scouts they shall officially be in 2 weeks!

what a wonderful wonderful day we all had at 'forest adventures' today.

the proud mums, dads, siblings and even a grandpa, took photo's & videos, and encouraged the kids as they made their way ard an obstacle course way up in the trees. we had fabulous fabulous weather. (and can hardly believe i actually got sunburnt!) the littlies were wonderfully behaved too!

the big kids enjoyed it so much, that some of them convinced those holding the money to cough up another $7 to let them go around again! :b

we left home ard 10.30am this morning.... planning to be back home in time for chinese class at 4pm. well it was never to be... the kids were still up in the trees at that time! :b 

after a very cheap lunch at the polytechnc, they had their 2nd round up in the trees, some playing on the ground, and sand-fun at the playground. then we ended with a quiet dinner at the airport with dh. finally got home ard 8.45pm. a good 10hrs since we'd 1st left our messy abode!

what a day! we are all so keen to go back... and we've decided that next time e dads will watch the littlies while e mums perhaps go on the adult route, with the biggies pleasantly occupied on the same route they did today. :)  i'm sure they'll get better and better, and overcome their fears more and more each time...

kynan's last words before bed:  "mama it was such a fun day!"

and kay comes off e boob to add: "i had a really fun day too!"

i'm shattered!... but *highly* reccomended!  :)

ha ha ha, no it's not what yr thinking :)

one of our pupae hatched last night. no, this time it's not a butterfly. it's a furry little moth with brown patterned wings and large beady eyes. this morning we released it eagerly into our plants and it fluttered away dizzily.

now we hv one more that was just poking it's head out this morning, it's front legs seeming to push away the torn part of e pupa casing.  it's a very slow process.... by evening it was still there in e same position.

perhaps some food will hurry it up? ... so what do moths eat? e same things as butterflies perhaps?...

err, shall hv to report back tmw :)

i am planning on going with the kids to 'Kampong Ubin Resort'  for a couple or more days in e june hols. it's e same resort we always go to, but now under new managemnt. (still leaving from marina country club, and most facilities e same except i think they also hv a spa coming up soon)

some mums hv expressed interest in joining us this year, which is great!  :)

if u  and yr brood wd like to come along too...for days of sand and sun and exploring and swimming, group games and scate-scootering, canoeing, bubbly jacuzzis, nature discovery and general relaxation...then do get in touch! :b

it's suitable for all ages from babes-in-arms to biggies.

chalets are either singles or duplex (which come with living room). _and imo the latter works out to be better value as 2 small families can share, or 1 large family on their own .then u hv e bonus of a place to eat together, and to chit-chat comfortably while e kiddies sleep :) duplex has 2 rooms with 2singles or 1 queensize bed in each.  extra mattress/bedding can usually be got at ard $10+, or pack sleeping bags for e kids. single chalet has 1 room with queensize bed and space for 1 additional mattress on e floor, no living room. both are fully aircon throughout, have fridge, kettle, tv, and separate shower and toilet. rtn ferry tkts are included in e price, (upto a point). babes in arms and tiny tots r usually free.

i am planning on buying e 2year membership card which gives me entitlemnt to make bookings for others at greatly discounted rates (as long as i am there for the same trip) for those who hv joined us on similar trips b4, room rates wd therefore work out to ard e same $ as previous.

present dates that i am likely to be there, are 28, 29, 30th May, ie e 1st week of e hols (wed thurs, fri)

get yr name on my list soon so i can make a bookings well in advance.  :)

el