Swimming miles above ground

With our upcoming relocation to Sydney, and the fact that the hubs will be going off in little more than a month’s time, we are making a lot more effort for family time.

We had the opportunity to stay for a night at one of our (and the kid’s) favourite hotels – Marina Bay Sands a week back, and we were so excited! We love the ambience, the nice rooms and the good dinner that Rise Restaurant promises. Haha!

The last time we stayed there, we dumped left Xavier with the grandmother, but this time round, my little prince came along well for some family bonding (and squeezing on the bed).

The highlight of the short stay – was the swim we had at the top of the hotel! Miles above ground, with a cool breeze and a stellar view. It was a great morning!

  Family days are made of such mornings.

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Of motor cars and bubbles!

Another packed weekend for us! I love spending time with my two boys and the hubby, and this weekend, we had a lot of fun together. Here’s a quick recap of what we were up to this weekend.

First up, we had a date with some motor cars at United Square. It was a new venture by my friends, and we decided to bring the boys for a spin and to support them!

It looked so fun – vintage cars that my friends specially imported in. Jay and Xav both loved it! We frequently bring Jay to play with the motorised cars (there’s one store that sets up shop at East Coast Beach), and the cool thing about this was that the kids had a “circuit” for them to race!

Jay and his Ferrari. Black like Batman’s car, which is why he chose this!

Pleased as punch as he makes his laps!

Xavier was close behind, courtesy of the remote control. Xav literally just had to sit back and let Daddy do the controlling. It was a fun time for Daddy too… haha! What is it about boys and remote controls, yeah?

And it was so fun, and the boys insisted on trying on another car. 

If you do make your way there, these vintage cars have more zoom and speed! Much more enjoyable for my little speedsters!

All in all, it was an awesome Saturday morning, and if you want to pop over, this will be running next weekend (Sep 8 & 9) from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at United Square (the area just outside Swensen’s).

That afternoon, both kids slept well as you can imagine, after spending close to 30 minutes in the hot noon sun!

And ordinarily I’d allow them to sleep in, but not this Saturday – because we had a date with a photographer! The very talented Steph Tan, who organized a special photoshoot marathon to raise funds. For such a noble cause (and on her birthday to boot!), and for a chance for a mini family photoshoot, I’d booked my slot with her months back! Haha! She was a whiz with the kids, though Jay was disappointed Roo (her gorgeous daughter) wasn’t around – as she was during our other photoshoot with her earlier this week.

Two semi-grouchy boys didn’t make for easy subjects, but they slowly warmed up to Steph and her warm ways. Very slowly – it was almost at the end of our time with her! I am waiting for the photos,  but we only managed to snap some shots on the hubby’s iphone.

My drama-mama little boy.

And the toy that won their hearts and coaxed the smiles – a bubble gun! I brought a bubble wand too, but for my impatient boys, this quick-working bubble gun excited them more!

All in all, a most wonderful weekend! ;)

How was your weekend?

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Singapore Food Festival

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and the kids were waking from their long naps (after a morning in church). On the spur of the moment, I decided to bring the kiddos to the Singapore Food Festival, happening at the Waterfront Promenade at Marina Bay.

Saw these young girls posing in front of the sign. If I were (quite literally) 10 years younger and without my two kids, I might do that too. Might. But with the kiddos in hand, this is the best I can do – cos I have no wish to plod down the muddy field. Hahaha!

It was a pretty huge tent, with so many stalls. The first thing I did was to get the special edition of the Nets Flashpay card – to enjoy the 20% savings of all the stalls at the Food Fest ($12 to buy, with a $7 stored value).

Check out what we ordered!

The seafood platter from Seafood Paradise, original chicken drumlets from Neo Garden and the yummy pasta from Covelli Italian Bistro & Wine Bar.

Jay enjoyed the prawn fritters from Neo Garden! The two boys were hungry – and thankfully we reached just after 6 p.m., which meant the place was not too crowded and we managed to get the food fast.

Cos if you see their faces, you know… Patience is definitely not in their dictionary.

Oh, but a huge minus… there were no baby chairs! That simple gesture would have made my evening PERFECT. (Now, I will settle for an 8 upon 10. Haha!)

Nic also ordered another dish from Covelli…

Okay… there was supposed to be FOUR of these little babies. But my baby wolfed down two before I could whip out the iPhone. This is a very unique dessert called “Squid Ink Meringue with Sea Urchin-Mango Cheese Mousse.” Sounds a bit weird, and the black look was off-putting for Jay… but Xavier LAPPED. IT. UP. So much so that I stood in front of the stall for about 30 seconds after we had our dinner, and contemplated buying another box home. Haha! Didn’t do it… cos I figured I can pop over before the last day again! Haha! Warning though… It is a super crumbly dessert, and you’ve got to be gentle with these meringues. Loved this dessert!

There were so many other stalls that we didn’t have the stomach for unfortunately… and so we may pop by again!

The Singapore Food Festival Village will be open from 13 to 22 July 2012, from 11 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. daily. Admission is free!

Disclaimer: All opinions here 100% mine, no compensation received.

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The Running Boys

I am a full-time working Mummy, and I work from Mondays to Fridays.

Weekends used to be a time of lounging, lounging and more lounging. But with kids, that soon became a thing of the past. The hubby and I work from Mondays to Fridays, and while we do bring the kids out on some weekday nights, there are also other commitments that make it hard to do so (like church activities, cell group meetings). So weekends are precious to spend time with the kids.

With two very active boys, sometimes the easier thing is to bring them out and let them expend some energy. Run around. Scream a bit. Jump about. And it is a win-win situation. We get to spend some fun time as a family… and they get to nap easily once we get home.

A few weeks ago, when we were at Parkway, we noticed that the Safra Sprint Run was happening on June 24-25. And on the spur of the moment decided to enter both kids in the parent-accompaniment sprint. (Yes, even my barely-walking-by-himself-toddler) on

It is actually a short sprint, but my little boy was so pumped about the whole experience, I am doing to sign up for next year’s kids races!

And in a few seconds it was over – but my boys were so happy with the medal given! Haha! Everyone’s a winner!

The Sprint Run is really a competitive race for the older kids, but we’re just in this for a morning of fun!

The run, coupled with a hearty Swensen’s breakfast after that, made for perfect conditions for the kids to have a good nap after that.

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Shopping Away with Mastercard this GSS!

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Many things change when one becomes a parent. Priorities change, sleep patterns change… even one’s figure changes (sigh, don’t get me started).

One thing hasn’t changed much – my love for shopping! It’s now more channelled and controlled, of course. Quite controlled. Somewhat controlled. Okay, so there are weak spots here and there. And impulse buys sometimes. Ahem. But channelled. Did I mention channelled? Now, I look out not just for bargains for ME, but good deals for the kiddos!

This Great Singapore Sale season, I was happy to receive a spanking new M1 Prepaid Mastercard (PayPass-enabled), and we were given the opportunity to splurge on the kiddos for the weekend! And in the midst of the shopping frenzy (or can-hardly-stand-still kids or bored spouse or all of the above), it’s sometimes not the clothes-trying or toy-choosing time that is tiresome, but the queuing to pay! And in this respect, PayPass makes it easy to make your payment in a simple, swift and safe way! Shop, and simply tap away at the various shopping, dining and entertainment outlets around the island. This GSS, there’s an awesome deal – every 5 taps (regardless of amount) at any of the 20,000 acceptance points during GSS period will earn you a $10 shopping voucher (for the first 1,500 cardholders a week).

A treat for the kids… means starting with a trip to Toys R Us!

Where both boys had a BLAST once they knew they each get a special present from us!

 

As you can see, Jay took it seriously… poring over his various options: A new Transformer? A new Dinosaur Train? While his younger brother had some tough choices to make of his own.

Finally the decisions were made and we went with a Ben 10 toy for Jay and two Sesame Street DVDs for Xav.

If you spot these terminals around, you know PayPass is available – and you just need to tap and the transaction is done in a matter of seconds!

It’s like going up the bus and tapping on the ez-link machine. Even Jay could do it!

Later that day, we proceeded to a yummy dinner at one of our favourite restaurants – Waraku!

Jayvon and his kid’s meal – which Xav happily slurped off a lot of that ramen as well.

Dinner with the two boys is never dull… as they entertain each other as much as they entertain us.

This GSS season, look out for special privileges for Mastercard holders, and the PayPass platform as an easy way to pay and go – a dream for busy, on-the-go parents! Coming up – a purchase for me… as I make my way to Adidas to get a brand new gym bag (Didn’t you read about the first paragraph? Haha!) as I get ready to do more tapping!

What are your recent good GSS buys? Share share! :)

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Our Zoo day

Public holidays used to mean mornings spent sleeping in, leisurely brunches and movie outings. That is before kids come into the picture.

Now… it’s all about going to places to entertain the kiddos! I’ve always heard colleagues and friends lament about the lack of places to go to during the weekends. I think the cure for such boredom is to have a kid. Or two. Or if you’re really adventurous, three or more. There are so many places to bring the kids to, from indoor/outdoor/water playgrounds, art classes, music classes, and of course… the usual touristy stuff like going to the Zoo, Birdpark or Night Safari.

Jay has been to the zoo probably a gazillion times. Alright, maybe not that many, but pretty close. He has a soft spot for animals – even though he has “progressed” to dinosaurs now, there aren’t any “live” dinosaurs he can observe, so the Singapore zoo is a great place to spend the day. And spend the day we did.

We left our place at 8.30 a.m. (I know! It’s as bad as going to work…) and decided to give ourselves a caffeine boost at the Ah Meng’s Kopi!

 

Here’s X, and it is his FIRST time to the zoo! This is probably a “good” age to bring him, as he is able to recognize the animals, and he’s also watched The Lion King cartoon about 20 times now.

Our two little tour guides for the day poring over the Zoo map to decide where we would go to!

The breakfast was simple and hearty – I especially love the peanut butter and jam bread! Yums…

Thankfully there was a slight drizzle the night before, so the cool-ish air was such a relief – especially with the hot weather these days! We made our way to the “usual” exhibits – the White Tiger, otters, big cats, giraffes, zebras, rhino, and even managed to catch two shows – the Splash Safari & Animal Friends show!

 

J & the pygmy hippo!

We decided to end off the day by letting the kids loose at the Kidzworld water playground.

 

Yes, it is Daddy braving the waters with X… Again.

And J quickly went for gingerly getting used to the cool water…

 

To getting totally soaked!

It was a fun-filled, tiring, bone-aching morning… but really, what other kind of Zoo Days are there? :)

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Ahoy maties!

It was my birthday last Saturday, and I did something I have never done to celebrate this special occasion.

I spent the day baking in the sun. For the sake of my two sons. Hahaha! Oh, the power of the kids… makes me willingly (willingly, I tell you!) not just drag myself but hubby as well to the sunny island of Sentosa.

And no matter what I read or thought… seriously, the Port of Lost Wonder, Sentosa’s very first beach club for the kiddos, took my breath away! Even Jay stared open-mouthed at the huge pirate ship once we entered!

In fact, I think he was a little overwhelmed that when I asked if he’d like to go in to play, he refused at first. I was shocked, truth be told – he loves water playgrounds, right?

Oh, but my worries were unfounded. As soon as we found a shady spot for Mummy to take refuge from the blazing sun, he was ready to go!

Daddy was the sacrificial lamb sporting one, and brought Xavier in as well!

Xavier took to the water like a fish! Haha! His first time in the pool, actually… And erm, I did bring swim wear for Xavier… I blame the heat for forgetting.

While Daddy was busy with the kids, I walked around the club to take more pics!

Jay occupied himself with these two slides – the green and the blue! He had a BLAST, going up and down (and up and down)…

Apart from this totally awesome structure, there was actually MORE going on for the kids! When you register to enter, each kid is given a tiny sack of coins (or curios, as they call them) & a Port Pass to complete tasks and get prizes.

With the coins, the kids can choose to participate in other fun activities like gardening and even a foam party! The “cost” listed refers to the curio cost, so there’s no additional amount to fork out inside!

All in all, it was such a fun morning for me, and most importantly, my two boys! Jay was asking to go back to Sentosa over the weekend again, and we’re looking forward to our next family outing!

Thanks for the good folks at Sentosa for the chance to attend the opening of the newest attraction at Sentosa, and I think it will be a sure hit with the kids!

If you have kids aged 3 to 12, be sure to make a trip down to the Port of Lost Wonder, located at Palawan Beach Sentosa. The opening hours are 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. daily (the water play area closes at 6 p.m.)

Prices are pretty affordable, with admission charges for each kid at $8 (for weekdays) and $15 (for weekends), and if you go soon, there is a special 15% discount! No additional charges for the accompanying adult. For all-year free admission, you can also consider getting their annual membership.

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