The 2 faces of Meryl

She is the sweetest, most docile and compliant girl with a generous heart and gentle touch especially with babies. She is also fiercely independent and self-reliant and tenacious in the way she handles complex situations and physical challenges. She can walk for miles at Bukit Timah Hill and during the numerous nature walks we do without uttering a single complaint despite the blisters forming in her foot, scale the rocky mountain at Mount Kinabalu with an optimistic and never-say-die attitude in face of the slippery steps and steep paths. She does not demand for things to be bought for her, is extremely well-behaved when she goes out on shopping trips with us and is perfectly accommodating when we give her instructions. She sleeps without any struggle when it is her naptime, anywhere. She is adventurous when it comes to food and will try anything at least once. She is able to reason well and even dish out advice for her brother. She is also commendable in that she will stand up for her brother and protect him when the situation calls for it. She is always standing alongside her brother when he gets punished and hugging him and comforting him after he gets his due. She is also lovable in that she is always so obliging. She is usually the 1st to respond to requests for tissue or dustbin or water from my mom, myself or my husband. She will bring tissue for brother and help him wipe his mouth or tears, she will help me carry my plate to the kitchen and fetch the handphone for my mom. At times like these, she is an Angel.

However, there is another side to her. There is a monster that is lurking within her as the hubby puts it and that monster is Anger. And often it is on the spur of the moment, over the most insignificant things, and despite the fact that she knows she is fighting a losing battle, she failed to rein in her anger. We are still trying to figure out if this is her way of getting our attention or is she testing our limits. Her punishments had included 2 months no Explorer Kids at Downtown East, no parties and no opening of birthday presents for a month for her temper tantrums. Once was over her insistence that I bring her on the Ferris wheel at Downtown East, on her birthday she had insisted on sitting on the cooler box and be pulled and then the last one was for wanting to wear plastic high heels slippers to a Christmas party. On those occasions, she will be quietly defiant at first, pulling a long face, refusing to speak until we are about to make a move. Then she will raise her voice and refuse to bulge. Each episode also included her stamping her feet in anger, clenching her fist, calling us 'naughty' and when in close proximity, she will try to inflict pain on the person. Crying is the last thing that she does which will sometimes escalate into screaming. Then when she finally acknowledges her defeat, she will start apologising which is already too late as the punishment would have been meted out. The interesting part, however, is that she will adhere to the punishment without any resistance. At times, she will even remind us when we forgot the punishment. She will also tell us that she needs to take in 3 deep breath when she gets angry and count to 10. Sometimes I wonder, if she subconsciously 'welcome' these punishments so that she is 'equal' to her brother who always gets into more trouble than her.

December Holidays 2008 Updates

Nov 2-8th

• Meryl's Kids' Pageant competition
• Meetings in school
• Tying up loose ends in school
• Lower Sec History Survival Guide
• 1E6 BBQ at Downtown East

Nov 9-15th

Back to School from 8-1pm

Nov 16-22th

• Playdate at home with Isobel, Joel, Jeremy, Carissa, QiHui, Alex and Alyssa
• Beverly Hills Chi Hua Hua with Meryl
• Zoo with Kyle and Meryl X2
• Badminton, Swimming and Ballet
• Hubby on reservist
• Magadascar 2 at Downtown East

Nov 23 - 29th

• Zoo with Belle and Joel
• Beverly Hills Chi Hua Hua with Meryl
• Zoo with Qing Qing, Athena and Irvin
• Speech and Drama camp (Mon to Fri 2-5pm) - Kyle
• Badminton, Swimming and Ballet
• Ikea, Courts, Giant, Vhive and Casa Itlay
• Crab beehoon with yeye in geylang
• Packing of goodie bags for Bridge Walk

Dec 1st to 6th

• Monday - Ikea furniure
• CSC meeting
• Tuesday - packed kids room and study room
• Wednesday - shoe cabinet and computer table and cabinet, badminton
• Thursday - sofa arrived, spring cleaning, Zac's house, ticket delivery
• Friday - swimming, CC tying up loose ends
• Sat - ballet, Bridge Walk, dinner at Brewsbaker, packed for trip to KK

Dec 7th - 13th

Sun- arrived at KK, checked into Hyatt
- Dinner at Portview Seafood Restaurant
Mon - Monsopiad Cultural Village RM65 per pax, Taxi Rm80 to ad fro
- Wetlands River Safari Rm190 per pax (free or 2 kids) 1pm - 10pm
- Proboscis monekys sighting, Silver-leaf monkeys and firefly
Tue - Island hopping RM27 per pax for 2 islands
- Manukan Island 10am to 1pm
- Sapi Island 1.30 - 4.30pm
- Pasar Malam
- Fish market
Wed - Hired 7 seater cab RM250 to Mount Kinabalu Mesilau Nature Reserve
- Marketing at Kundasang town
- Mushroom lunch- msuhroom soup, omelette, fried and stir-fry
- Nephenthes Trail to view giant pitcher plants
- Salad buffet
Thurs - Wild Rafflesia sighting RM20 per pax
- Poring Hotspring
- Short nature walks
- Farewell Dinner
Fri - Departed at 5.30am for airport
- arrived airport at 815am
- Home Sweet Home 1.15pm
- Kids swimming lesson at Anchorvale CC
Sat - Ballet lesson
- Elizabeth's birthday party
- grocery shopping

Dec 14th -20th

• Meryl's birthday celebration at home
• Kyle's sports camp at Keppel Club
• Checking into Costa Sand Resort
• Preparation for BBQ with students
• Escape Theme Park for the DUO
• Sec 1 registration meeting on Thurs and Fri
• Meryl's birthday bash on 18th
• Overnight mahjong

Dec 21-27th

• Victoria's birthday party
• Sunday Movie at home- Harry Potter
• wrapping christmas presents
• Kyle's outing with Jiu jiu
• playdate at home with Jeremy and Carissa
• last minute shopping
• Buffet dinner at Shangrila 'The Line'
• Bedtime stories movie at Bishan Junction
• Christmas party at yeye's house
• Underwear thief episode
• Christmas party at Wilson's
• Boxing day outing to Tampines with kids and Aunt Jen and Ryan
• Swimming lesson

ZOO again

Kyle showering

On board Ferry Pedro - named after the recylcing Otter.

I was serious when I said that I want to make full use of my Zoo pass. Barely 4 days after our last visit, I was there again! This time, Isabel and Joel joined us. We met at the entrance and then visited the white tigers, pigmy hippos and Autralian outback before we headed for the new ferry service across the reservoir. The kids were really excited.

The ferry cost us $15 for 2 adults and 2 kids and took us all the way to Rainforest Kidzworld. It was pocked there even though it's Monday. The kids including the baby Annette rushed in to play except for Joel who needed some coaxing.

My hubby followed us as he was off for the day and only needed to book into army for his reservist later in the day. He took loads of photos on his new toy, Canon PowershotSX10IS. It felt great not having to be the one taking pictures!!

We had our lunch while the kids played till 12.30 before they had their chicky meal with toy. As usual, mine were the last to finish. We rushed off to send Kyle for his holiday Speech and Drama camp which starts at 2. He was late for 1 hour.

Playdate @ Anchorvale

Since holiday is here, I invited Kyle's playmates from the time they were babies, Isabel and Alex and their siblings who are also Meryl's age and the Duo's good friend, Jeremy whom they meet everyday while waiting for the bus downstair for a playdate at home.

Siew was the first to arrive with her 3 kids, Isabel, Joel and Anette followed by the rest. Altogether there were 10 children including Jeremy's little sister, Carissa who came later. The kids played amongst themselves and were extremely happy to have company. The same goes for the mothers who munched away on home-made scones and biscuits and drinking tea.

The kids stopped by our table periodically for their snacks until it was time to pack away the toys and prepare for lunch. Lunch (watercress porridge) was uneventful and especially quick for some after I dangled Mamee noodles as a reward for those who could finish before 1pm, except for my son...sigh...

After lunch the kids were happy to just watch a Strawberry Shortcake disc whilst the mummies ate their lunch. The playing resumed after my son finished his lunch and the kids were happily jumping on my bed and playing army toys.

At about 2pm, they left and the kids quickly had their milk and settled down for their afternoon nap. Meryl slept all the way until close to 6.

Waterplay @ Kidzworld

Brought the Duo to the zoo last Thursday after a long long break. I was determined to make full use of my Zoo pass this holiday. I cycled the Duo to the main road to take bus 163 and then we changed to 138. They were kept occupied on the bus by Alice in Wonderland book. We reached the zoo at about 10.30. We did not tarry long to look at the animals but headed straight for the tram to KidzWorld.

Upon reaching, I was lucky to find a table, albeit not shaded, near the waterplay area. Kyle immediately stripped down to his swimming trunks and Meryl followed suit. I reminded Kyle to look after his little sister. It was a pleasure looking at how he held his sister's hand as they explored the grounds.

I took the opportunity to have a nice and relaxing meal of KFC while they played their guts out for 2 hours!! After that we head home in a cab and Meryl dozed off in the taxi before waking up for lunch at home.

Meryl's punishment

Meryl was banned from sleeping in our room for 1 week. This punishment was meted out because she was caught not sleeping and waiting for us till about 1am. Since she is too excited each time she gets to sleep in our room, we decided to oust her out for 1 week even though it is now holiday time.

She faithfully slept in her own room for the first few nights. One afternoon, I was preparing to settle them for their nap in my room. As I was ushering them in, she reminded me that she could not sleep in my room and compliantly went to her own bed while Kyle slept in our room. Hope she will be as honest when she grows up!!!

CROCS Mania

Last Friday hopped over to Singapore Expo for the MPH warehouse sale. They were also having a Crocs warehouse sale but I wasn't too keen on cors as i felt that the imitations were as good and much cheaper. I went in to look for my neighbour and saw the hordes grabbing dozens upon dozens as thought it was free for all. I succumbed and bought 2 pairs for the kids @$20 each and 3 pairs of pants @ $10 for Kyle. After choosing the merchandise, my friend asked me to pass it to her as she has a friend working there and he will make payments on our behalf. Shucks!!! I was thinking then that I should have bought more since I don not need to queue to pay. The queue was horrendous!!!

After I went to MPH, my neighbour called and said that her hubby was on his way to choose some shoes. This time, I went in and bought 4 more pairs of shoes ( 2 for moi and 2 more for the Duo) Again we didn't have to queue....shiok!!!

Meryl loved the pink pair opf boots to bits and Kyle was ga-ga over his 'army' crocs too. I told my hubby about the escapade and he was also tempted to get some.

That Sunday, we went back again - for the food fest and him for the Crocs sale. He gave up when he saw that people were queuing just to enter the hall!!! Ridiculous especially when recession is just round the corner!

Words of wisdom

We were on the way back from airport after sending their granddad off and we were reading a story about a mole who was afraid of the dark. I used the opportunity to remind them of our cycling trip and the sounds we heard in the dark and the animals that are active at night.

Kyle was not convinced as he still have fear of being in the dark alone. We told him that we can always think of beautiful things in our mind before we go to sleep. Meryl chipped in saying, 'It is only your imagination , there's nothing to be scared!' (She is the braver of the 2) Then she added, ' You know, you know why I not scared? Because I know that God is in my heart, He can protect me one. God can also protect you!'

The Bed Fight

Sun, 2.15pm, Naptime

The Duo were fighting over who gets to sleep on the bed. I suggested that it was Kyle's turn to sleep on the floor this afternoon but he refused to bulge. Meryl also wanted the bed as she had her turn on the floor last night already. I tried pleading with them, coaxing them but to no avail. I used the excuse that I will get backache when I sleep on floor.Meryl was very quick to answer me that when we wake up she will massage my back for me and added that she is Very Good at that. Kyle piped in and claimed that he will also give me a massage. So in the end, I slept on the floor!!

True to their words, when they woke up at 4.30, Meryl reminded me that she needed to massage me. She did a great job of stepping on my back and then using her fist to pound on my shoulders. Kyle also gave me a good massage after Meryl. I was appeased....

Kyle's Swimming Report

Kyle swimming in his underwear, freestyle.

He has learnt how to swim frog style partially but now learning to swim on his back without support.

Meryl is Officially learning swimming

Meryl has been attending lessons on and off for a few weeks as she wanted to do what Kyle was doing. Here she is with Alex and Danny. Kyle was down with a runny nose and did not swim that day.

Tonight she agreed to join the lesson again but wanted me to 'talk' to Brother L first. She did not want to put her head into water. So I asked her to tell Bro L herself and they negotiated for a while. She finally acceeded to putting her head a little bit into the water. Then she was happily inside the water.

When I finished my swim, I popped over to the training pool to see Meryl sitting on the side practising her freestyle strokes. She was happy to show me how she puts her head into the water and blow bubbles.

For the last part of the lesson, Bro L got them to swim on their back and Meryl did it very well. Watch the video especially the last portion when the coach let go of her! Finally before we left, I told Bro L that I I will put Meryl officially into the class.

Meryl learning to hold her breath under water with Kor Kor Justin coaching her during one of the sessions!

Kyle's Concert " The Lost Button"

Kyle with Alex, Belle and Victoria

Ryan quek and Kyle

Jenson

Kyle, Isobel and Joel

Kyle and Elizabeth

Aloysius and Kyle

Synopsis of Musical:

The story is about a Button who has lost its owner. He went around searching for its owner in Candyland, in ToyLand and finally found its owner, a Circus Clown.

The Mad Concert Rush

Saturday, 1st November 2008

Meryl's schedule for the day (I attended)

10am- 11.15am : Ballet
11.30 -12.15am : Lunch
12.30 - 1.30pm : Nap
1.30 - 2.15pm : Dina's Hari Raya Open house
2.30pm : arrive in school for concert performance
3.00 - 4.30pm : Graduation Concert at Sengkang Methodist Children Centre
5.00pm : Housewarming steamboat party at Aunt Jen's place
Swim after dinner

Kyle's schedule (Tim attended)

• Woke up at 7.45am wanting to get ready for concert.
• Spent whole morning doing nothing much.
• Had lunch and then refused to nap, afraid that he will miss his concert.
• Played at Danny and Dina's place till 2.45pm.
• Left house at 3pm, picked Alex and family.
• Concert at 4.30pm till 6.
• Arrived at Aunt Jen's place for dinner and a swim.

Overheard on the telephone

Doing the 'Backside Kiss'.

It was Friday night and I was having mj session and the kids were bored. I suggested that they call up Chandris and ask if they could pop over to play for a while. So the 2 kids tried calling him on the phone. Kyle helped and finally they got through the line. Meryl took over and asked the person on the other end if she could talk to Chandris. I think the person asked her who she was cos she answered, "I am Chandris' grildfriend!"

Chandris, btw is Meryl's classmate and they often walk back together after school as he is staying just a few floors below us on the next block. There was once I was back early and saw both of them bading each other farewell using 'Backside kiss'. The 2 of them walked backwards till their backside bumped into each other. They did that for a few times until they were satisfied before they headed home. I was curious as to whose idea it was but it is still a mystery how it all started.

A Night Adventure on Bike 3/11/08

Tonight was Jo's baking night and I had the kids to myself. After their dinner, gave them both a quick shower and then decided on what to do with them. It was a little too late to go visiting so in the end, we decided to go biking on the new highway next to the Sports Complex.

Meryl tried to get her way away by insisting on bringing her CJ7 but I disallowed. She begrudgingly put it back in after a few tries. We headed towards the pavement along the highway and enjoyed the cool night breeze as it rained in the afternoon. The whole stretch of road was quiet as very few cars know about the road. The side was floored by wild vegetations and we were treated to a symphony of sounds from the crickets and toads and whatever creepy crawlies that lurked within. It was away from the city bustle and it was good. The air, the sounds and the sights.

We decided to go till the end of the new road to see where it leads to. I had an inkling that it led to Jalan Kayu and I was right. I asked the kids if they wanted otar and Meryl said she wants. Kyle opted for prata. So we made our way there amidst some obstacles on the incompleted road. The Otar stall was closed and Kyle changed his mind and asked for ice-cream instead. I had my tau hue with gingko nuts and Kyle was given $2 to buy something to share with Meryl, on his own. I had half expected him to buy chips but he chose Meryl's favorite cod fish strips and paid the cashier himself and took back the change and all. They had a good time chomping on the cuttlefish and talking to their dad on the phone telling him about their 'adventure'.

On the way back, we spotted more frogs/toads. Meryl was still busy eating behind me on the bike while Kyle was busy looking out for frogs that came out to the pavement. Our mission was to help them get back to the bushes so that they will not be crushed by bicycles. At one point we saw a pair of mating toads and took some pictures. We saw a total of 7 frogs/toads tonight. Then Kyle decided to race me on my bicycle and he ran and ran and ran till we almost reach home. We reached home about 9.25 and I allowed them to watch their favorite 'Tom and Jerry' for being such good cycling mates!

The Punishment Chart

No more caning but wrongdoings are still punishable in other ways.
This is what is written on post-its and stuck to our calender, to date. (older ones have been thrown away)

Kyle

2weeks no violent TV for fighting with eacg other
21 Oct + 2 more weeks (05/11)

1 month no frontseat in car
09/11/08

No new toys for 2 months - Losing new bought play-dough at mrt ticketing machine - 03/11/08

I month no Tv - play on elevator
15/10/08

1 month no soft drinks for snatching drinks from Meryl
28/10/08

Meryl

No sweets for 1 month (+1 more week) for putting hand in mouth
21/10/08

2 weeks no violent TV for fighting with each other
21/10/08 (reduced to 1 week for good behaviour)

The punishment will be reduced based on good behaviour such as taking initiative to help each other, eating fast, showing good manners etc.
The kids are well-aware of the consequences should they do anything wrong. They willingly subject themselves to the punishment meted out, as they know that otherwise it will be caning for them. I think Kyle has not watched his favorite show Ben 10 for many many months. He has yet to complain!

Temper Tantrum

Of late, the girl has been very prone to temper tantrums whenever she felt that her ideas have been thwarted. Today was one such example.

Brought the Duo out to Downtown East Explorer Kids for an hour of fun then we had lunch before going home. Everything went on well and they had LOTS of fun at the X'plorer playing. The lunch also went on uneventfully. They had their macaroni, then ice-cream for Meryl and greentea for Kyle. On the way back, we passed by the kiddy rides and I told them no. Then they wanted to go for the bouncing castle and I also told them no as it was already 210pm. When we passed by the Ferris Wheel, Meryl insisted on having a ride. Again I said no. She was very, very unhappy and she let me know it by pulling a long face. She was not satisfied with my answer that it was late and that when I said NO, it means No.

In the taxi, she continued to show me her black face and after I had strapped her up, she started kicking her legs (lifting it up and putting them down very hard). Her fists were clenched and she will grunt every few minutes. After explaining to her that I had already spent a lot of money for them to play at X'plorer Kids and that we had taken the Ferris Wheel with Nerise and Raine before, she continued to dwell in her anger. So I ignored her totally and spoke to Kyle. We talked about our plans for the holidays, about going Sentosa. That was when she growled a fierce, 'I want!' I turned to her and asked her what is it she wanted but she continued with her leg kicking and grunting. I told her that I do not understand what she was trying to say. She grabbed my arm wordlessly and squeezed them very tightly ( to her, she was using all her strength but of course I didn't feel anything!) Then I asked her if she wanted to hurt me. Again, she grunted and growled and squeezed me some more. That was when I told her that she will be grounded if this continues. Kyle asked me what the word means and I told him,( for Meryl's benefit) that there will be no going out.

I turned to Kyle and we started talking again when she took my arms and squeezed it again. That was the last straw and I told her that she would be banned from Downtown East for a month. She was visibly upset and growled, 'No!'. Then she continued with her leg kicks and all and again, hit my arms. That was when I increased it to 2 months. By this time, we had reached our home. It was then that I told her that I was upset and that she had hurt me and didn't even apologise. The floodgate burst and she cried, saying that she was sorry. Kyle, ever so 'helpful' told her that it was 'too late'. Meryl cried and cried and cried all the way back but I told that the punishment still holds. She will not get to go Downtown East for 2 months. Then I went to write it down on their punishment board. Only with good behaviour in the ensuing days will we decide to reduce their punishment even though my maid pleaded for her that she was tired as she slept very late late night.

Meryl's Story

Nowadays during our car trips, we have been telling alot of short stories. It usually goes like this. Once upon a time...the end. One night, on the way back from CompassPoint, the hubby challenged the kids to make up the longest story and for a while nobody spoke. Kyle did not want to ...so after waiting for a while, Meryl went....( I will try and remember as much as possbile the exact words she used)

Once upon a time, there a little boy named Kyle. He was very naughty. One day he played at the escalator and played and played. Then the police came and catch him away. Then they brought him to the jail and locked him up. He cried and cried so loud for his mother but his mother cannot hear him. His mommy was very far away and cannot hear him. Then he cried and he cried for his mommy again. (Paused for a while) The XLR8 ( from Ben 10) came and rescued him away from the prison and then he was free again. The end.

I think the story was longer than this but I cannot remember the other details. This was roughly the gist of it.

That Night, she talked and talked non-stop. I had trouble getting her to STOP talking and sleep (They were sleeping with us that night). Then she coughed and coughed after I told them noise out. She claimed that it was because she had told such a long story earlier in the car!

Proud Moments

#1

After our Wednesday badminton session, I was chatting with one of the program manager, CS about primary school choices. My son came looking for me in the office. When CS saw him, he gave him a packet of gummy bears which he politely refused saying that he is still having a cough and cannot eat it. CS insisted saying that he can eat it later. Kyle took the packet of sweet and thanked him. While I continued in my conversation with CS, Kyle was looking at his packet of gummies longingly. After a while, he couldn't resist the temptation and asked if he could have it then. I okayed it and CS helped him cut opened. He offered the 1st piece to me which drew praise from CS, then he offered CS too, before he ate his. He then polished off half the packet and then gave me the other half saying that it is for Meryl. I was so proud of him as he has demonstrated selflessness in this instance.

#2
I brought Meryl out to Kovan for some errands one afternoon. While I was queuing up at the bank, she entertained herself on the sofa. After I was done, she came up to me and told me that an auntie wanted to give her sweets but she told her no. I told her it was the right thing to do as she needed to get my permission first. We meet the bank officer again who again wanted her tohave the sweet. Meryl looked up to me and I gave a slight nod. She then told the officer that she will take it for her brother and took 1 from her. The officer was surprised that she did not take any for herself and asked her to take one more. She looked at me again before accepting. She thanked the lady and then gave me the 2 sweets to keep without even asking to eat them!

#3
Kyle woke up one afternoon after a short nap. He was still cranky from too little sleep. He insisted on watching his program on the TV even though I said no since he has been banned for 1 month. I had told him that he can only watch documentary or the Chinese CD but he became very angry after that. The dad was promptly informed and he was given another 2 more weeks off TV. After that he INSISTED that I play 'Snakes and Ladders' with him but I refused and he started crying. I then relented and told him that I'll play 1 game only. There was some mucus which was dripping from his nose after his 'temper outburst' so I asked Meryl to take a tissue for the brother. She happily obliged (she loves doing things for her kor kor) and went to take it. Kyle cleaned his nose and then threw it into the dustbin after. Meryl who did not see him throw, returned about 3 minutes later and went to his brother asking for the tissue so that she could throw it away for him! It was really sweet of her.

Blackout 18/08

We had just finished dinner and the 2 kids were both engaged in their own activities. Kyle was playing on the computer and Meryl was playing puzzles in the living room with me. It was almost 8 in the evening.

The hubby came back from work and we were about to open the gate for him when, lo and behold, darkness engulfed us! I promptly went to the switchbox to see which button had tripped but all was intact. Next I went outside to check if our neghbour's house had lights and it had. Umm...we were completely clueless what had happened.

I contacted Singapore Powers and was told that help will arrive in an hour's time.

We managed to find a box of birthday candle and proceeded to set up a 'candle-lit' dinner for the hubby. The kids were thrilled!! I was flabbergasted! No fan, no lights, no TV ,no computers! For an hour!!

Of course, the hubby and I made use of this teachable moment to drum in the importance of conserving energy yada, yada, yada...and what will happen if there is no more supply...yada yada yada..all the while praying in our hearts that such a day will never come.

To our surprise, help arrived within a mere 10 minutes even before the hubby finished his dinner. 2 men from the Town council came and went on to set things right. They showed us the cause of the 'blackout' - a badly burnt fuse probably caused by loose wires. I was horrified and queried if a fire can be caused this way. One said yes but the other said no unconvincingly. Just keeping my fingers crossed that this will be the 1st and last.

Soon the lights came back on and we resumed our activities with renewed thankfulness.

Enrichment for Kids

The newly opened Anchorvale CC with 8 slides and a sheltered pool . You can see my block behind the pool.

The hubby and I are of the same mind when it comes to learning; no enrichment classes (at least for now) but to expose them to a wide variety of activities. To date, Kyle who is 5 and Meryl who is 3 1/2 has not attended any classes which is curriculum-based. However, this year, we have decided to include some structured learning into their activities:

• Wednesday night - badminton at AVCC 2hrs (family affair)


• Wednesday evening -Kyle's piano lesson (indiv)


• Thursday morning - Kyle's chess class ( conducted in his kindergarten)


• Thursday - Gymnastics in school


• Friday night - Kyle's swimming class (Meryl also go swimming for fun)


• Sat morning - Meryl's ballet class


• May holidays - 1 week Speech and drama camp for Kyle which included singing and acting.

The mummy is also going for a course this August - Hair cutting!!! This is a timed decision due to the hubby and son's penchant for haircuts which they go ever so often, hand in hand. With the escalating prices of things, I need to cut corners, literally, and this is one area that I can help shave costs (at least save $20 per month).

That said and done, proximity is also of utmost consideration. Kyle's piano class is conducted at the block next to mine, his swimming and Meryl's ballet is also at the newly opened CC which is 5 mins ride on bicycle and Kyle's chess and gymnastic is held in school. Luckily for them, otherwise they will not get to attend anything as I hate travelling to anywhere for anything, except for food and shopping!!!!

Mussel Farm Kelong

Sunday morning and we decided at the last minute to go to the hubbys friend's kelong. After a quick call to confirm the time, we headed for Jalan Kayu to buy otak, bread and some yutiao for our lunch. We arrived at the run-down jetty at about 11am and waited for his friend.

It was low tide and we could see many mudskippers, snails, tiny liitle crabs and hermit crabs crawling all over the beach. It was fun. We even caught 2 hermit crabs which we thought we can rear at home.

At 11.30, hubby's friend arrived with his son and we hopped into a speedboat and off we went. The trip lasted no more than 5 minutes and the kids were absolutely thrilled!

The kelong is a mussel farm and I found out from the uncle there that they just let down the ropes and the mussels and barnacles will attach themselves to it and they will then harvest it after a few months. Then they have to dry the ropes again before they let it down, otherwise the eggs will not be able to attach itself to the ropes.

The kelong is quite a fruit haven. There were rose apple tree (above), orange tree, lime tree and chiku tree and many others that I do not recognise. According to an auntie, they even grew vegetables but for some reason, they stopped. There was also a chicken coop that Kyle and Meryl were happily scaring the chickens and sending them flapping all over the place.

The hubby couldn't wait to start fishing and dumped the kids with me. They explored the place with me running after them lest they fall into the water. Meryl was busy feeding the fish with bread while Kyle was ALL over. In the end, I couldn't care less and let them be.

They had otak(no chilli) with bread for their lunch and I even did some marking whilst I was there. Then I tried to get the kids to sleep on a foldable chair but they ended up fighting with each other over it. By this time, I was also busy fishing and couldn't be bothered. Luckily they were able to self-entertain each other. Kyle played mostly with Patrick Kor kor and Meryl was happy just on her own.

There were heaps of bread (all expired and mouldy) given by confectionary to be fed to the fish at a nearby kelong. The workers were busy removing them from their wrappers and Meryl happily took the bread to feed 'her' fish. We used the mussels as bait for the fish and I managed to catch about 3 but 2 of which were catfish.

Patrick caught this fish and we also managed to catch quite a few of this towards the early evening. Patrick's dad went hunting for fish literally with gun and arrows. He also managed to catch quite a few fish. I was worried for a while when I did not see him surface after a long time.

We only left at about 6 and my 2 kids did not nap at all. Meryl got punished for getting into the speedboat without waiting for us. Once we were in the car, she knocked out almost immediately followed by Kyle. Picked up helper on route to fil's place.

Weekend Rendevous

My weekends always pass by in a frenzy of activities after we have kids. The list of activities keeps on increasing as we seek out new experiences for them. They include:

• Singapore Zoo (esp when Kyle was younger)
• Night Safari (since we have the Wildlife card...a waste not to go!Usually weekdays after dinner for an hour or 2)
• Farms at Lim Chu Kang- frog, goats, organic vegetables etc (ongoing)
• Animal Resort at Seletar Farmway-not been there for a while..must revisit again.
• Mushrooms farms-loved the mushrooms, still taste better than when you buy from NTUC
• Fish farms at Pasir Ris Farmway- for our aquarium, last visit on National Day
• Downtown East - Explorer Kids and Wild Wild Wet
• Fishing at Punggol/ Pasir Ris- Kyle will go with the hubby to fish or we go usually after dinner to see pp fish
• Cycling at Pulau Ubin- quite a fun thing to do ..rent the buggy to attach to the bike if you have baby too small for the baby seat
• Nature walks at Lower Pierce/Macritchie Reservoir-usually in the morning after breakfast
• Bukit Timah Nature Reserve-tried out a few routes. Meryl can do solo to the summit
• Tree-top Walk at Macritchie- long walk!
• Swimming at Keppel and SRC and yeye's place
• Kelong - mussel farm off Lim Chu Kang - great getaway
• Sentosa picnics- with my family at Tanjung and Siloso beaches
• Birthday parties
• Grocery shopping at Giants-weekly affair
• Lunches at Ikea
• Visit gong gong at the Home
• dinner at yeye's - my sis-in-law is a fabulous cook!
• RC events such as Family day, movie night, funfair etc- I am a very supportive resident in Sengkang

Of course, it's not all about the kids...there's also the occasional mahjong sessions after the kids sleeps...hee..

2 Patriotic Citizens

It's been amost one week after National Day but on Sat morning, my girl woke up singing 'We are Singapore' and reciting the pledge. My son soon joined in and they were both singing at the top of their voices in no time. It was only 7.45am much to the despair of both the hubby and I who were still very much in dreamland!

Meryl has shocked us one evening when she recited the whole Pledge in Mandarin. Found out that the school taught them that. Then Kyle also started singing some National Day songs and we had been 'treated' to a few weeks of Nationalistic display by my 2 children. On National Day itself, we were all home watching the National Day Parade while having our dinner in the living room. It was pretty amusing to see the 2 stand at attention, without any prompting, when the National Athem was sung on TV and again when the Pledge was recited at the end of the parade. Puts the mummy to shame...ha ha.

So thoughtful

Called home as usual at about 9 plus to check on the kids. Kyle answered and said that he finished breakfast first today. He then passed the phne to Meryl and I asked her why she finished breakfast so slowly today as usually she finishes 1st. She replied, " I eat so slowly becaue I want my kor kor to finish first!" So young and yet so thoughtful...I can only conclude that it's a 'char bor' thing, cos I know my son will never think of doing that as boys are usually more 'self-centred' than girls!

Playdate at Aunt Victoria's 19/05

Kiera, Yang and Meryl playing together after dinner.

GF invited my kids over for playdate but Kyle chose to stay with his dad and they went dinner together with the granddad whilst Meryl and I made our way there on our own.

The kids did art and craft together, sang and danced and did some gymnastics together.

They had Japanese oyako don for dinner and Meryl insisted on feeding herself in front of her friends. She finished in record time! She enjoyed herself so much playing with Yang and Kiera that when her dad came to pick us up, she stubbornly refused to leave and cried. Yang tried to pacify her by offering her Kiera's toy but it didn't work!

Alex's 5th birthday party 04/06

The 2 babies, Alyssa and Annette are already walking!! Alex's mom called and said that Alex requested for his friends to go over to celebrate his birthday instead of going Downtown East. The kids had not been to Alex's place for a long time and they were thrilled to re-visit his toys. My kids, together with Belle and Joel and Alex literally turned the house upside down! Toys were everywhere and so were the kids!

After a pizza lunch with chicken wings, it was cake cutting time. As usual my son was most excited about it..look at him (below) with his mouth all puffed up!

We left at about 2 in time for the kids' afternoon nap. It was great for them to meet up with their toddler playmates again.

A new Friend from Vietnam

This is Tini, from Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh city. She was here with her parents for 3 days and 2 nights of fun.

We went to Sentosa, Siloso Beach Resort to have dinner with them. It was beautiful and convenient as well. We had dinner before we went to watch 'Songs of the Sea'.

Kyle took to his new friends (she is Meryl's age but same height as Kyle!) and they were sparring with each other like old friends.

Here we are, getting ready for the show and eeping our fingers crossed that it will not pour....See the ominous lightning across the sky??

I had no idea what to expect at all and was feeling grumpy that we have to pay to watch 'Mucial Fountain' which is free. I was plesantly surprised to find that it was some kind of mini 'musical'.

There were actrs, plot, singing and drama as well using lights, fire, water and music. It was quite refreshing, I must say and at the end of the show, felt that it was money well-spent.

The kids had loads of fun watching the show although Tini was a little frightened by the special effects initially.

The night evening, we all went to Night Safari. I also 'chio-ed' my neighbour who came with their 'troops' to the Safari. Raine, Nerise, Shannon, Shanice together with Amy, Byron, their mother cum maid came along.

We all watch the Animal Show at the amphitheatre before proceeding to take the tram for the next 50 mins or so. The kids were so excited to be together and seeing the animals. Needless to say, our tram was one of the noisiest!!!