Goodbye 2011

How time flies! 2011 zoomed by so fast without us realising it. I wonder why time seemed to crawl slower when we're younger. Is it because we can't wait to grow up but we seriously don't look forward to grow old? hehehe I'm very thankful it's been a good year for us. As long as nothing bad happened and everything's smooth sailing, it's indeed a good year. I hope we'll be blessed with another good year in 2012 and thereafter.

~ the kids with MV's Christmas decoration ~

Here are some updates for the month of December :

4th (Sunday) ~ Went to watch Puss In Boots in 3D. This time, CE was okay wearing the 3D glasses. And I think he enjoyed the show as much as the popcorn. Coz he didn't come and disturb me after he's finished his popcorn. :D

After we reached home, XY complained of stomachache in the evening. It got worse the next day. She also had fever, diarrhea and vomiting. Brought her to see the paediatrician and he suspected viral infection, not food poisoning. Since she couldn't really take solid food and she's been vomiting, I made the Oral Dehydration Salts water for her. And she really hated it, both the original and orange flavour. I tried a packet myself, it tasted fine. It was really difficult to get her to finish a cup (in a day) and I had to bribe and force. Luckily she got much better after a day and her appetite was back to normal 2 days later.

8th (Thursday) ~ I won 2 tickets to watch Jacky Cheung's concert via an sms contest. SIL was very kind to offer to babysit the kids so hubby and I can go. This is the 2nd time we went for his concert. The 1st was more than 10 years ago, I think. I took the train to meet up with hubby at the stadium. It was an awesome performance with great dance moves. Jacky can dance and sing fast songs 2 to 3 songs continuously. Very good stamina (for his age hehehe). I sat next to 2 ladies (in late 20s or early 30s) and we acted like teenagers -- shouted his name out loud and moved the blinking wands to the rhythm of his songs. *giggle giggle* He sang for 3 hours with minimal rest in between. The concert ended before 11:30pm. We were stuck in traffic for quite some time after exiting the parking lot and it was already past 12 midnight when we picked the kids up. Many thanks to SIL for the opportunity to go 'pak thor' with hubby. Ever since XY's arrival, we've not been on a proper date.

~ inside the stadium ~

11th (Sunday) ~ We finally decided to get a second-hand piano for XY. As we do not know how long her interest will last, we didn't want to invest heavily on a new one. She chose the piano herself. She prefer Kawai over Yamaha, maybe because she's been playing on a Kawai (CH's) all this while. We got her a Kawai BL-31, about 32 years old. It was delivered on the 13th. Her teacher was asking if we'd like to register her for the Grade 1 practical exam next year (between June and August). After getting her teacher's feedback on her progress, I've decided to let her take the next one in March 2013. By then, she would've learnt for 2 years. There's no rush, better give her more time, less stress for her (and me).

21st (Wednesday) ~ After the pest control service, we went to Tesco for sundry shopping. Then lunch at McD and the kids played at the indoor playground. Since Giant is just nearby, we continued 'shopping' again as I couldn't get all the things I wanted from Tesco.

26th (Monday) ~ I had a gathering with 3 of my secondary schoolmates. We had dinner at my place. So nice of them to come all the way (1 from Seremban, 2 from KL) to my ulu town. It was really great catching up with old friends over good food. I haven't met L since she left school after Form 5. We had BBQ marmite crabs (*yummy yum yum* which A brought from Seremban), satay and home-cooked fried bihun. XY was very excited that night and kept my friends entertained. Actually, she was over-excited till she got out of control thus getting a good scolding from me the next day. The girls commented that she's totally opposite from me as I'm a very quiet person. The funny thing is, PaPa's also a very quiet person. So where did she get this outgoing trait from? hmmmm...

28th (Wednesday) ~ Brought the kids for a haircut. School will reopen soon and it should still look neat enough for Chinese New Year. XY agreed to cut her hair short (not tie-able anymore). Wanted to get a new school bag (without trolley) for XY as her classroom is located on the 1st floor next year. There wasn't much choice and she didn't like the ones we saw. So didn't manage to get the bag yet. To split the weight, I got her a sling bag too.

XY fell sick (again) the next day -- fever and runny nose. Luckily her fever only lasted a day. Actually, CE and I are also recovering from runny nose. Hopefully everyone will be fully recovered before school starts.

Singapore Trip Oct '11 (Part II)

Day 2 ~ 25th Oct

Had breakfast at the hotel as our package came with buffet breakfast for 2 adults. So we had to pay for the kids' buffet. Food was alright. Not too much variety but good enough for eating 2 days straight. I read a lot of reviews about very long queues, waiting for a table in the mornings. But we didn't face such problems, probably because it was off peak season.

We reached USS entrance at about 10am, its opening time. Saw that the 'candy tree' area was empty. Quickly brought the kids there for some photo shots. The day was so hot although the weather forecast said thunderstorm. But better be hot than raining, right? I brought along the kids' caps and a folded umbrella. But silly me, forgot to check the umbrella as it's been sitting in the cupboard, unopened, for years. It was a bit faulty, with a broken rib and I had difficulty closing it. So we didn't use it. Woah... we were being baked under the hot sun. Came back a few shades darker. :-( Although we went on a weekday, it's still very crowded. A lot of Indian tourists. But luckily the queues are still manageable. Nothing exceeding 30 minutes, mostly 5-10 minutes. If you're going during peak season, I'd suggest you buy the express pass to avoid spending all your time queuing.

~ under the 'candy tree' ~

~ Universal Studios Singapore ~

There are 7 zones in USS. As compared to Hong Kong Disneyland, the place is not very big and the rides are of a smaller version. We covered all those rides that we CAN ride, except the extreme roller coaster rides at Sci-Fi City. I can still accompany XY for the milder ones like Enchanted Airways and Canopy Flyer. While riding the Revenge of the Mummy, I almost freaked out. Just can't wait for the ride to be over. But XY really enjoyed it. What a daredevil she is. She wanted to go for second round but no one can accompany her. Coz I give up! Getting old lah. And don't count on PaPa, he's worse than me. hahaha We skipped Donkey Live show and missed Monster Rock due to the timing. Transformers The Ride will be opening in December 2011.

Some of the interesting shows are WaterWorld (the explosive and thrilling death-defying stunts water show), Shrek 4-D Adventure (with water spray and sensory effects) and Lights, Camera, Action! (special effects stage show).

We had dinner at Din Tai Fung. Had siew lung bao, noodle soup and fried rice. We enjoyed this much more than our meal at HRC. So cinapek hor. hahaha

Day 3 ~ 26th Oct

After our buffet breakfast, we went to check out Hard Rock Hotel's pool. As a hotel guest in the Resort, you're allowed to use any of the hotel's pool. I thought the kids would be thrilled with the man-made beach but they weren't interested to play with sand that morning. They went for the slide first but got bored with it quite fast. CE kept getting stuck in the middle of the slide, probably coz it wasn't steep enough. But I don't know why XY didn't have such problems. I don't really like the feel of sand in the pool so we moved to the shallow pool (without sand). Tried the jacuzzi, the pressure was so strong I had a hard time sitting still. :D

We didn't spend much time there. Headed back to the room to shower and pack and got ready to check out. We managed to get a late check-out at 1pm. Left our luggage at the reception and went for a light lunch at Toast Box as we're still quite full from breakfast.

Next on the itinerary is Underwater World. Although we've been there in '07, XY wanted to go again. And I thought CE would be able to appreciate it more now that he's older. The kids really enjoyed looking at the sea creatures and they are actually familiar with some special types of crabs/fish as they've seen them in Octonauts. hehehe Since it's our second time there, I don't find it interesting, except for the seals and dolphins show. They are really adorable, well-trained and entertaining.

~ Underwater World Singapore ~

~ interesting performance by the seals and dolphins ~

There was still time to kill so had a tea break at a restaurant there. Then we went back to The Forum and had a drink at Coffee Bean, to wait for dinner time. Ate at Din Tai Fung again. This time we ordered noodle soup for the kids and snacks for ourselves.

We were really frustrated when we found out our flight was delayed for 2 hours. The only good thing that came out of this is that I finally found the Faber-Castell finger printing art pads. Have been searching for a very long time already. Couldn't find this in their outlets in KL/Selangor. Due to the delay, I had time to check out the book store. Sooooo happy when I saw the art pads. There are 4 or 5 sets of different colours but I only bought one -- quite expensive leh after conversion. :p Also bought Crayola washable markers since I didn't get any souvenirs for the kids from USS. The welcome pack (consisted of a hand puppet, toothbrush, rubik's cube and plastic inflatable noise-maker) they got when we checked in at Festive Hotel doesn't count, right? :D Oh oh, got one souvenir from USS -- the popcorn bowl. Their cheapskate Mommy kept the bowl after they finished the popcorn. hahaha

Singapore Trip Oct '11 (Part I)

Day 1 ~ 24th Oct

We reached Festive Hotel in Resorts World Sentosa at about 12 noon. I've requested for an early check-in but it's subject to availability. As our room was not ready yet, we were asked to come back at 2+. So we registered ourselves and left our baggage with reception. Went for lunch at The Forum. It's less than 10 minutes walk from the hotel. We had hainanese chicken rice, hokkien mee and fish and chips at Lunar Cafe (serves local and western food). Food was ok, up to standard.

After we've filled our stomach, we took the Sentosa bus to Imbiah Lookout. Bus service within Sentosa is free. The bus stop is located at the carpark, about 15 minutes walk from the hotel. It's quite stuffy at the carpark. The buses are rather frequent, wait time less than 10 minutes.

We tried the Skyline Luge. I rode with CE coz he's too young to ride on his own. XY was on her own. PaPa was following her closely. She crashed at the curb once coz she let go of one hand to wipe her sweaty palm. hehehe No worries, she wasn't hurt. Pulled the cart back on track and she continued her ride. It was really fun. But it'd be more fun if we could go faster. PaPa had to slow down to accompany XY and I had a "passenger" with me. :D After the Luge, we took the Skyride back to the platform. XY, CE and I went 2 rounds as we bought the Family Deal (4 rides). Had to top up 1 person's fare to accompany XY.


Back to the hotel to check-in at 3+. As expected, the first thing the kids did was to check out the bunk bed. Like what the reviews said, the room is smaller than the pictures shown in their website. Although there's a sofa bed that can open up to be a queen size bed, we didn't use that. On the first night, XY slept on the bunk bed. It's actually big enough for both of them but I didn't allow CE to sleep there as I was afraid he'd have problems (blur blur/half-awake) climbing down in the middle of the night to pee. The second night, PaPa had to sleep there (yeah, it's long enough for him) coz XY doesn't want to be "alone" anymore. hahaha The hotel is very generous with bottled drinking water. There're 3 bottles of 500ml drinking water in the room. Every time you make a request to housekeeping, they'd send up 3 bottles. I actually requested for a pool view room. But during check-in, being near to the lift was priority to us coz I dread walking a long way to our room after a tiring day. So we got a room VERY near to the lift but the view was terrible, overlooking a construction site. :-(

~ Deluxe Family King room @ Festive Hotel ~

We didn't waste time and went to the pool for water play. Didn't spend very long there as we need to rush to go out again to watch Songs of the Sea. We missed that during our last trip to Singapore in '07 so this is on my must-do list. But unfortunately, in my personal opinion, it wasn't that spectacular.

We went back to the resort for dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. Ordered mushroom burger and I ate less than half. I didn't have any appetite, probably coz I was too tired. PaPa had BBQ ribs -- nice, not as jelak as my burger. The kids shared cheesy mac.

~ dinner at Hard Rock Cafe ~

The kids fell asleep quite fast when we're back in the room. It was a long day for them and they know they need to recharge for another long day the following day.

Water Fun

The kids (especially jie jie) have been bugging us to bring them to Sunway Lagoon. PaPa suddenly became so 'hardworking' and decided to bring them this weekend. And the timing was considered good coz they are not sick or anything. Well, we tried to ignore didi's (occasional) sneezes and jie jie's (very) slight runny nose. :p We told them yesterday night that we'll be bringing them to some place fun in order to get them to fall asleep fast. Anyway, didn't want to disappoint them in case we cancel the plan if their condition got worse. But jie jie could already guess the destination after listening in to our conversations. :-)

Before going to Sunway Lagoon, we had lunch in Puchong, at our usual bak kut teh restaurant. By the time we're in the water park, it was already past 1pm. Although we only intended to play at the water park, we had to purchase the 3 Parks tickets (normal rate : Adult - RM80, Child - RM65) because there are only 2 types of tickets -- 3 Parks or 5 Parks. MyKad holders are entitled for 25% discount. You need to show a MyKad for EACH adult so we had to pay full amount for Kakak (coz obviously she doesn't have one).

After putting on sunblock (it was scorching hot), the kids are ready for some serious water fun at the water playground. Didi isn't the very adventurous type so jie jie (the daredevil) and I went on some of the 'chi kek' slides. She's tall enough (above 1.1m) and can slide on her own. I think she'd like to go for more rounds if not for the long queues. She doesn't want to waste time queuing coz she knows we won't be spending a very long time there. We went on the steep slide (lying belly-down on the mat) and the winding slide (sitting on the double tube). We also played at the wave pool. The kids love to sit on the rented double tube and be pushed by the wave. At 3+, the sky was getting gloomy. So we headed to the man-made beach for sand play. It looked like it was going to rain so they had their last round of sliding at the water playground till the guards shooed everyone out of the water when it started to rain.

We had an early dinner of pizzas and pasta. The kids fell asleep shortly after we left the car park. Reached home, bathed, read some story books and they slept early at 9+, which is quite rare nowadays. I bet they had a FUNtastic day and I'll be reminding them to be a good girl/boy next week (and for as long as it works) as a way to thank us. muahahaha

School Holidays With Grandparents

We went back to Penang to visit Po Po in the first week. Then Ye Ye and Mah Mah came to visit in the second week. The kids had lots of fun playing with their cousins. We didn't go out much when we're back in Penang. They spent a big chunk of time playing with PSP and my SIL's handphone. *shake head* Brought them to Youth Park to play at the playground one evening. There's quite a lot of people, although it was a weekday. I haven't been there for many many years already and the place has changed so much. The playgrounds and exercise equipments are well-maintained. Especially love the big trees surrounding the area, providing shades everywhere.

I also had a gathering with my secondary schoolmates. Finally got to meet Olive, SP and sweetie DQ, after a few unsuccessful arrangements. I think we haven't seen each other for 7 years. Had a great time catching up with the gang at McD. Did the right decision to choose a venue with an indoor playground (although that was just a mini one). I brought XY along and left didi at home with SIL. Smart move coz I was able to truly enjoy the food and company. Just needed to keep an eye on her from our table (we sat very near to the play area).

Ye Ye and Mah Mah stayed at BIL's house. The kids are very happy every time they are here coz they get to spend the whole day (except nap time) playing together with their cousins. And they also love the fact that we go out for breakfast often when their grandparents are here.

CE complained of toothache since Sunday (5/6). Brought him to the dentist on Wed (8/6) and was told there was nothing wrong with his teeth. But there's an ulcer on his gum. Glad to hear his set of teeth are in good condition but have to take note that his upper left molar is a bit dirty. Got to make sure we brush and clean it properly. I asked the dentist to clean his teeth and he was very cooperative, considering that was his first dental visit. But he disliked the taste of the toothpaste so he had to gargle very soon after the dentist started the cleaning work. So it was a few rounds of cleaning and gargling, with the chair adjusted up and down, up and down.

Within a week, XY lost 2 teeth. They came out on their own. And she's really cool about them, although there was a bit of blood. Upper right lateral incisor on 5/6 (just dropped out by itself) and upper left lateral incisor on 9/6 (while playing rough with didi). So now she's RM1 richer. Yes, this tooth fairy is quite stingy one. Only 50 sen per tooth. hahaha

Hello Everybody!

Long time no see! Wow... this is the longest break I've taken in the cyber world. Whoosh! 3 months just flew by. Better clear the cobwebs and get back in action before I lose all my blogger friends. hehehe As it is, some have already given me warnings. o.O But seriously, it's really heartwarming to know that there are friends out there (you know who you are) who care and wonder how you're doing when you've been "missing" for some time. Thank you so much for your warm thoughts, girls!

Hmmm, where do I start? Ok, here are some random updates :
* Mother's Day 2011 -- we went back to PaPa's hometown on Saturday to attend his grandma's 80th birthday celebration. We only spent a night there. Didn't even celebrate Mother's Day for MIL as we left after lunch. No celebration for me either. No mood anyway coz CE was sick. I got a card each from the kids.


* CE had his first exam last week. But he has 2 more papers to go because he was sick. Had high fever due to throat infection/gastroenteritis -- diarrhea and stomach cramps.
* Due to his prolonged cough, doctor suggested that CE take Alvesco Inhaler (started on 24 Mac). It's not sprayed directly into the mouth, but used with the AeroChamber. His condition improved after 1 month of usage. He still coughs every now and then, but for a much shorter period compared to last time.
* 19 Mac -- went to the dentist to extract XY's lower right lateral incisor.
* XY started piano lessons in March.
* CE started Mandarin classes in April -- once a week after school hours in his kindy.
* Brought the kids for a haircut in April. Finally snipped off XY's over-the-shoulder-length hair to chin level.
* I went back to Penang for Cheng Beng, alone. It was a good 3D/2N trip away from the kids. :D But too bad I had diarrhea so didn't get to enjoy all the hawker food that I've been craving for. Never mind, will be bringing the kids back again end of May, during the school holidays. Then it's payback time. muahahaha
* Have been watching a lot of tv series -- Hong Kong and Singapore dramas.
* Started eating oats for breakfast (not everyday though) and exercising on the trampoline 2 to 3 times a week to control my cholesterol level. Really hope to keep this up.
* Will be busy preparing XY for her mid-year exam, which will start on 23 May.

CNY 2011

The weather's been rather crazy. As written in my previous post, it was a wet wet pre-CNY down south. It was flooded (luckily PIL's place not affected) due to non-stop rain while it's hot hot hot up north. When we travelled back to KL on the 2nd day of CNY (Friday), we passed by a short stretch of flooded area in Parit Sulong. Luckily it was not very bad as cars can still pass through.

~ the houses by the road were flooded up to knee height ~

The next morning (Saturday), we took the flight to hot hot Penang. It was a short trip as school will start on Monday for XY. She had to skip school for a day. Although it was only 3D/2N, this trip was quite fruitful -- gathering with schoolmates and Uni-mate, visiting relatives, hanging out with very 'old' friends (some I haven't seen for almost 20 years!). I didn't get to enjoy much of Penang food this round. For our family dinner on Sunday, we tried Young Heart Restaurant @ Pulau Tikus, which promotes healthy and delicious food. Unfortunately, the food wasn't as good as the published reviews. Probably coz it was during CNY and the sets were prepared much earlier. So the reheating must have affected the taste.

Tuesday (back in KL), we attended the CNY party organised by CE's kindy. This is our first time as we missed the event the past 4 years (not back from my hometown yet). But this year due to XY's school schedule, we managed to make it. It's a potluck party, I contributed nuggets. There was lion dance, a short drama by the 6-year-olds, games and food.

~ lion dance ~

Saturday, visited my relatives in the morning. At night, dinner at BIL's house with friends and their families. That was the first time (and last, I guess) I 'lou sang' this CNY. Luckily still got chance to 'lou' this year.

Monday, Valentine's Day. Hubby's away so no celebration. :-( Anyway, I doubt we'll dine out even if he's in town. 'Lou foo lou chai' already, we don't really celebrate V-day. But I got a pleasant surprise when a van honked at my gate this afternoon. Flower delivery! *big big smile* So what did I get for my Valentine? Only a card. hahaha I put it in his luggage bag pocket, without his knowledge of coz. Last night after 12 midnight, I sms-ed him to tell him where to find it. Well, at least still got some element of surprise. :D

We don't have any programs for the rest of the week. Will just laze around at home and prepare XY for her assessment next week. Happy Chap Goh Meh in advance!

A Wet Wet Pre-CNY

When we travelled back to PaPa's hometown yesterday, it was raining all the way. Luckily not too heavily. And one small part of the highway was a bit flooded (half a lane). It's been raining non-stop for a few days. Good thing the sun came out to play today, otherwise the clothes cannot dry. And the dirty clothes are piling up very fast. Hopefully the weather wouldn't be too gloomy and wet the next few days. Moreover, going visiting is not so convenient during rainy days.

Our last trip back was during CNY last year. So we've been savouring the local food as much as we can, before they close for the festive season. And there'll be continuous feasting the whole week. Ahhh... happy happy stomach. :-)

To those who celebrates CNY, here's wishing you...

Picture courtesy of http://chinese-new-year-cards.blogspot.com

Have a safe journey, wherever you're travelling to!

And to those not celebrating, have a good holiday!

1.1.11

It was our 10th Wedding Anniversary (ROM date). The day started (at midnight) with a gift and card from hubby. He was upstairs accompanying the kids in bed while I was watching tv downstairs alone. After the clock struck 12, I got an sms to "check the bookshelf". When I read the card, I was so touched and my eyes were watery (well, they do get watery very easily :D). The wordings made me felt so loved and appreciated. You see, hubby's been very busy with work and his own stuff that I felt a little neglected at times. I know I shouldn't feel this way or complain but it's just that sometimes, the hormones are playing tricks on me. No, not pregnancy hormones, in case you're jumping to conclusions. hahaha Probably aging hormones. :p

This is the gift. Nice or not? :-)

~ gold bracelet ~

~ Which do you think looks better? Twisted or as is? ~

And you know what I got for him? Nothing. Not even a card. Terrible or not, you say? So I'll just do my "declaration" here.
S**** B***, Happy 10th Anniversary! Thank you for... everything! I wish to spend many many more 10 years with you. I love you!

Then in the morning, I went to Critter Land for a mini bloggers meet with Jacss, Chin Nee, Anggie and Alice. It was the first time meeting Alice and the Little Sprouts. I saw Juan Juan first. So I asked her where her Mama and little brother were. She was very friendly and showed me where they were. Both the Little Sprouts are so adorable. Juan Juan speaks very fluent English and Ah Xuan was very generous with his "hi"s, together with the waving gesture. He even gave us a flying kiss before we left. Alice also gave us some yummy gifts. So thoughtful of her. I felt so 'paisay' coz I didn't prepare anything for her kids. Thanks again, Alice!

Jacss came with Sean only coz Scot wasn't feeling very well. The poor boy didn't seem to have fun as he missed his brother and partner-in-crime. I think he was bored as he preferred to play with his electronic gadgets.

Chin Nee's twins are so grown up already. The last time I met them was when they were just born. This June, they'll be turning 3. And like the rest, I can't differentiate who is kor kor and who is didi. :-) Their loving jie jie, pretty QQ, helps her mommy to take good care of her little brothers in the play land.

I finally got to meet the super cute and chubby little Jareth. Anggie and I have met twice during our boys' school events but I have yet to meet little J. He's now walking already, and quite fast too. Jeremy was playing excitedly that he lost one sock in the pool of balls, not long after he got in. Must let him wear tighter socks next time ya. hehehe Sorry, no photos to share here. For more updates and photos, you can check out Anggie & Jeremy boy Online Journal and My Little Sprouts!.

After 2 hours plus of play, we went separate ways as we have our own plans. I had a lunch date with hubby. Jie jie requested to eat dim sum. So we went to Cheras for dim sum lunch and spent money shopped a bit at Leisure Mall.

For dinner, I wanted to eat crabs so we headed to our usual go-for-crabs restaurant (not too far away). Unfortunately, they ran out of crabs! :-( So I can only look at the next table's crab dish... and drool. No lah, just kidding. hehehe Never mind, I'll get my crab fix another day.

Kids Photoshoot

Exactly a year ago, I participated in TwoPixels Photography's 1st Anniversary Giveaway. I was very lucky to be chosen as one of the 3 lucky winners. We had a photo session with Jazz and Sue at the end of November. We went to Taman Tasik Permaisuri in Cheras. The backdrop is very nice -- got trees, lake and colourful playground.

We reached there at about 9 (sorry we were late, girls), and the place was very crowded on a Sunday morning. We chose to wear a little formal for the session and I brought a change of casual clothes for the kids. The main purpose was to shoot the kids and while we're at it, take some nice family portraiture. As mentioned in my contest entry, hubby dislikes to be photographed. So this was a great opportunity to get him involved. Thank you, TwoPixels, for making my wish come true. ;-) And of course, must thank hubby dearest for his cooperation. hehehe

When we were walking around the (crowded) park, I felt so out of place. I can feel people (who're there to exercise) staring at this bunch of weirdos in formal attire. But what the heck, we have a mission to accomplish, so I tried to imagine we're the only ones there. :-) Jie jie warmed up to Jazz and Sue quite fast. But didi started to show his angry face after a few shots coz he wanted to go to the playground. Earlier, I'd promised to bring him to the playground after the photo session but he was getting impatient. Maybe he was only expecting a few shots. :D

~ didi showed his angry face while folding his arms ~

Jazz and Sue are very patient with the kids. We just couldn't get didi to cooperate. Things/words that normally tickle him didn't work. Thanks to Jazz's brilliant idea and Sue's iPhone, they managed to cheer up the grumpy boy.

~ Talking Tom Cat saved the day :-) ~

~ lovey dovey shot ~

From then on, the photo session went rather well. When we reached the playground, the kids were like monkeys off the leash. Jie jie went climbing high and low, swinging on the monkey bar, trying out all the slides. Didi, on the other hand, was rather cautious at the beginning. Once he's warmed up, he did his spiderman stunts as well. He loved walking on the "bridge" and playing slides. It was definitely a fun day for the kids. And as usual, tiring for the old folks. hahaha

~ the toothless monkey :D ~

~ spiderman in action ~

Oh, I almost forgot...

Happy 25 Months Old, TwoPixels!

Holiday Activities

There're only 2 weeks left of the long school break. How time flies! We didn't plan for any vacation this year end -- no budget and no time (PaPa's very busy). :-( Apart from playing tv games EVERYDAY, doing a lot of colouring and minimal writing, and revising with jie jie (mainly on BM and Maths), these are some of our activities so far.

1) Visited Petrosains StreetSmart Exhibition in KLCC.

2) Did science experiments. (a) Stole the idea from My Little Sprouts! and built balloon jets. (b) Grew dinosaurs in water.

3) Played and had a good workout at Critter Land.

4) Water play at home, in the rarely used 3-ring pool.

5) Had a great time wasting money at Sunway Pyramid's mini amusement park. I think their favourite is the bumper car.

6) Jie jie had her first try at ice-skating. We got her an instructor to coach her for 30 minutes (fee = RM60). She was taught how to balance herself, get up after falling down and of course, to skate. Not much she can learn and master in 30 minutes. At least she's mastered how to walk (on normal floor) with the skates. :-) She really enjoyed herself. Too bad it's quite far for us, if not, I'd let her take lessons. Never mind, we'll try to allocate time for ice-skating whenever we go to Sunway Pyramid. I'd love to try it too.

7) Watched Rapunzel: A Tangled Tale. As usual, didi was there just for the popcorn. He could not concentrate fully on the show. After he's finished his popcorn, he started to disturb me -- asked for more snacks, sat on my lap. Luckily he didn't roam around. I started warning him a few days before the outing. If he wants to follow me to the cinema and eat popcorn, he mustn't walk around or disturb me after he's finished his popcorn. Well, he kept half of his promise, ok lah. :D

Critter Land

SIL and I brought the kids to Critter Land (knew about this place from Irene) on Wednesday. We reached there at 10+ and we're the only customers there till the time we left. So nice to have the whole place to ourselves. :-) The boys spent a lot of time at the Lava Dome, where they erupt a volcano with foam balls and play shooting game -- shoot foam balls from compressed-air guns. XY loved the Sponge Drop, doing the flying fox (I enjoyed it too) and swinging on the rope. There are also slides, big and small. Funny that they're not too interested in the big trampolines but they always bug me to let them jump on the small one at home. *roll eyes* There's a dedicated area for little tots -- small plastic seesaws, ball pool, padded obstacles, etc.

Baby XN who's 7+ months old, didn't play much. Don't know why she didn't really enjoy the ball pool. But she loves to munch on the foam balls. hahaha She was model of the day as her mommy clicked away, practising her photography skill. The colourful backdrop is very nice for a photoshoot.

Since we have the whole place to ourselves, the big kids (the mommies :D) tried some of the slides and games too. shhhh... It was quite tiring for the adults to move around the place as we've to bend almost 90 degrees with crawling/walking tunnels above our head.

~ "wheeee!" into the pool of balls ~

~ isn't baby XN super cute? ~

~ 3-storey high slides, very "chi kek" ~

~ the high spiral slide ~

~ shooting game ~

~ trampoline area ~

~ the flying fox, this is fun! ~

~ "Jane" in action :D ~

Critter Land is located at The Heritage Village (opposite Mines).The entrance fee (for kids 1 to 12 years old) is RM15 on weekdays, RM22 on weekends, school and public holidays. They open daily from 10am. When we're there, got ample parking space. And it's free after you validate your ticket at Critter Land. After 3 hours of play, we went downstairs for lunch, at a Kopitiam. There's also a cafe and Persian Restaurant. That's all we can see near the Kopitiam area. Didn't explore the place as we're very hungry already. Hopefully can bring the kids there again before the school holiday is over.

Genting Trip Jul '10

We went to Genting Highlands last Saturday for a 1-night stay. It was one of the birthday surprises for XY. She didn't know we're going till that morning itself -- when she saw the stack of clothes (hers and didi's) on the bed. We were contemplating if we should go ahead with the plan coz it was MyFM's 12th Anniversary Concert that night. I'm sure the place would be crowded. But surprisingly, it was quite alright. There are many vehicles in Genting but the crowd in the outdoor theme park and restaurants were better compared to school holidays. However, there was a jam on our way there (on MRR2) and we reached the peak at 3+.

Check-in at Theme Park Hotel was a breeze. Maybe because it was quite late already. I didn't manage to book the Family Room (2 queen beds). So I booked the Deluxe Room (1 queen and 1 single bed) coz the room size, according to Genting website, is bigger than the Superior Quad, which has 2 queen beds. For now, the 3 of us (2 kids and I) can still fit in the queen bed. I requested for a room away from the noise so we were given the KL view. The theme park view would be noisy because of the concert.

~ deluxe room ~

If you don't like the idea of using 3-in-1 soap for washing your hair
and body, remember to bring your own shampoo and body soap. :-)

~ view from the room ~

Next, we had tea-break at Hainan Express (something like Toast Box), near the hotel lobby. This is the kids' second trip to Genting. Their first was in June '08. That time, we only went to the indoor theme park and the pool. So this trip, we skipped the indoor one and went for the outdoor theme park (the entrance is just next to the hotel). By then, it was already 5pm.

The kids had only about 2 hours of fun coz it rained. :-( We only rode in 3 rides, kids had some fun at the playground and they played 2 rounds of the Junior bumper car (had to leave coz the electricity for that section was suddenly cut off). When we were checking out the game stalls, a guy won a big dragon soft toy and was very kind to give it to XY. We think he must be a high level staff or he won't be able to win anymore soft toys as every customer is limited to winning 3 big prizes only.

~ back home, XY with her dragon ~

It was very cold as it was night time and raining. The rain was getting heavier so we left the theme park and went for dinner at First World Plaza. After that, back to the hotel to prepare the kids for bedtime. Then hubby went to make "donations" at the casino. hahaha

The next morning, the kids and I had breakfast in the room as hubby was still asleep. Ate the bread and biscuits I brought from home. The kids just can't wait to go to the pool. The Rainforest Splash Pool is located near First World Indoor Theme Park. With the cool weather, it's really nice to soak in the heated pool. The water level is only at the knee so you've to sort of lie down to "soak" in it. There's a mini playground in it (refer to picture) and 2 big water slides that adults can play too. Remember to bring along your hotel passbook to entitle free entry for 4 pax. With First World Hotel passbooks, you're entitled for some discounts.

~ mini playground in the pool ~

We spent less than an hour at the pool then went back to the hotel to check-out. After a simple lunch of fried rice and noodles at the hotel's Chinese restaurant, we headed home. Initially, we wanted to stop by the strawberry farm on our way downhill but looking at the tired kids (didi already fell asleep before we reached Gohtong Jaya), we skipped that. All in all, we spent less than 24 hours in Genting but the kids sure had a great time.

School Holidays June '10

School started yesterday after a two-week break. Didi had no problems waking up in the morning as before. He seemed happy to be back in school. But jie jie was a little manja. She complained she didn't feel very well and said she didn't want to attend school. Well, she's actually coughing a little and having a little runny nose but is overall fine and not having any fever. So too bad, no valid excuse for extending her holidays. hahaha

I've been away from the blogsphere for almost a month now. Have been busy with visits from our family during the holidays and rushing for the submission of income tax. Phew... finally it's done, and so near to the deadline. :p And we've been nursing a very stubborn cough (we = the whole family *sigh*). Still not completely healed yet. Yup, even didi, who's been coughing for more than a month already. And when he seems to be getting better, his condition worsens the next day. Then better again. *scratch head*

PaPa recently bought a HD MediaBox (multimedia player). So I downloaded some movies for the kids to watch on tv. We watched Alice In Wonderland, How To Train Your Dragon and Shrek (all the 4 movies).

Tuesday, 8th June ~ The kids went for a Happy Camp (half day) organised by CE's kindy. It's open to siblings aged 4 to 8 so we decided to let XY join them. They attended a session of Kid's Yoga before visiting High 5 Bread Town in Shah Alam. I was at the recreation club where they had the yoga class but said bye-bye to them when their bus left for Shah Alam. They had fun stretching and running around in yoga class. And I guess the Bread Town wasn't too interesting for them. All they remembered was the magic door where they had to say "High 5" to make it open. :-)

~ doing yoga ~

Thursday, 10th June ~ Po Po (my mum) and WQ kor kor (my 11-year-old nephew) came visiting from Penang. They stayed till Sunday. The kids played Wii games from morning till night. :-| I brought them to the amusement centre in Jaya Jusco on Friday (at least that kept them away from the tv for awhile). They had no problems finishing up RM30 worth of tokens (mainly used by XY and WQ coz CE can still be cheated -- let him play without putting any tokens hehehe. He especially love steering wheels).

Tuesday, 15th June ~ PIL were here for 2 nights in conjunction with Duan Wu Jie (Dumpling Festival) and school holidays. They bought dumplings from Johor and we've been eating dumplings for breakfast/lunch the last few days. And I've still got some in the fridge.

Sunday, 20th June ~ Father's Day. We didn't have any celebration for PaPa. Gave him a day off. So he's off duty from fetching us around (for food or shopping hahaha). In the morning, I guided the kids to make a craft for PaPa. The template was given by CE's kindy and I made a copy for XY. They coloured the hearts and circles and wrote the words themselves (I had to spell for didi). I did the cutting, gluing and stapling for them.

~ artists at work ~

~ dragonflies for PaPa ~

His First Field Trip

CE went to Zoo Negara yesterday. He wasn't overly excited about the trip but he'd answer "Yes" every time we asked him "Do you want to go to the zoo?" Before the trip, I kept reminding him to follow his teacher and don't run off himself. If he needs to pee, must tell his teacher. When I picked him up, the principal told me he wanted to pass motion during the trip (aisay... he just HAVE to poo during outings *shake head*). I'm glad he didn't dirty himself (in any way) as his spare clothes were not used. And he didn't lose anything. His cap, hanky and water bottle came back with him. :-)

I don't know how much he enjoyed the trip. He didn't talk much about it. Anyway, he's a boy with few words, sometimes. Unless he's really in the mood to talk, he'd not respond when you talk to him. He'd purposely look at you blankly or look up high (yeap... the dude's got an attitude problem). He didn't talk about the animals but told me he sat on the train. hahaha Looks like the the highlight of the zoo for him is the train ride.

~ I wanted to take a photo of him with his Zoo Negara
wrist band. But obviously he didn't like the idea :p ~

CNY 2010

Chinese New Year's over and it's now the exam period for school-going children (except kindy, I guess). XY is having an "assessment" today and tomorrow, on 4 subjects -- BM, English, Mathematics and Science. She hasn't done much revision as we were travelling again last long weekend.

This year, I went back to my hometown a little late (on the 12th day of CNY) coz there's a long weekend and to celebrate my mom's birthday in advance (actual day tomorrow). It was also good to split the travelling so the kids (and us "old folks") can have a good rest in between. For the past few CNYs, we drove back to KL from hubby's hometown (down south) on the 3rd day, then catch a flight up north (to my hometown) on the same day. With the hot weather, lack of rest and lots of unhealthy food/snacks, it's very easy to fall sick, especially for the kids. I'm very glad they've been doing fine so far, although they ate quite a lot of cookies, chips, sweets and what-nots.

Here's a summary of our activities during CNY :

Johor, hubby's hometown
Eve of CNY ~ drove back to hubby's hometown. This is also considered late. We usually go back a few days before the eve but hubby was away on a business trip and only came back on Friday night.

2nd day ~ MIL's side of the family came over. There were about 30 odd people in the house. But it wasn't too chaotic as there're only 4 kids below 10 years old. :-)

3rd day ~ FIL's brother and family came over.

5th day ~ left hubby's hometown.

Kajang, home sweet home
6th day ~ visited my aunt and cousin sister in Shah Alam. Also to see the newborn baby girl (my cousin sister's granddaughter). In fact, we've all been promoted. I'm now a grandaunt. How cool is that?

7th day ~ gathering at BIL's house with some friends.

12th day ~ back to my hometown.

Penang, my hometown
13th day ~ mini bloggers meet at Ko Fu Loft, Gurney Plaza. Details in the next post.

14th day ~ small gathering at my house with schoolmates. Then family dinner cum birthday celebration for mom at Starview Restaurant. Can't comment about the food coz I was having stomach discomfort. General comment -- food's ok and the serving's big.

Chap Goh Meh ~ fly back to KL.

Hong Kong Trip Nov '09 (Disneyland)

Phew... the post on Disneyland, the last part of our Hong Kong trip, is finally up. Thank you very much for your patience. :D


We checked into Disneyland Hotel at 2+ pm. The moment XY entered the room, the first thing she checked out was the tv. After 4 days without their normal cartoon (Park Lane only has 1 cartoon channel and most of the time, they watched Scooby Doo), they were seriously deprived of PHDC and Disney channel. Naturally, they were glued to the tv showing their regular channels, which comes in 3 languages.

I am more interested in the room amenities. There aren't many Mickey stuff in the room and hotel (as compared to Hollywood Hotel), more of the 7 dwarfs -- on the boxes of the toiletries, the Do-Not-Disturb sign and furniture in the washroom. I thought the hotel is very attentive to detail but I was a little disappointed. They already know how many adults and children will be staying. But they only prepared 3 sets of things like the towels, slippers and bathrobes. Even after asking for an extra set on the first day, they still provided 3 sets the next day. However, we love it that they provide free internet service in the room and they didn't charge us for our boarding pass print-outs (we did web check-in) although we were told each print-out will cost HKD10 the night before.

Disneyland Hotel :

We checked into the hotel on Tuesday, went to Disneyland on Wednesday (whole day) and Thursday (after breakfast with Mickey and friends) and left Hong Kong on Friday. We managed to cover all the rides and shows, except Autopia. We went 2 rounds of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Mad Hatter Tea Cups and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The first ride we tried was Space Mountain (roller coaster ride). PaPa didn't want to go with us and the 3 of us still went in, thinking maybe we can sit 3 in a row. But XY had to sit alone while I sat with didi. Didi was very scared, I held his hand and he pulled my necklace, almost strangling me. Honestly, I was scared (basically closed my eyes the whole time) and worried about XY as she was sitting alone. But she was really brave. She thinks it's fun and wanted to go another round. We told her maybe we'll go again the next day. That didn't happen coz no one wanted to accompany her. hahaha Her parents are just too chicken! :p

We had brunch at Plaza Inn, a Chinese restaurant inside the park. We ordered a set for 2 persons (comes with noodles, roasted meat, mushrooms and vegetables) and some dim sum.

~ fountain on the way to the park ~

~ my 1st time sitting ON the carousel ~

Photo session with the characters :

Let It Snow Christmas Parade :

~ Sleeping Beauty Castle at night ~

~ night view of the entrance ~

Didi was so friendly, he kept saying (and waving) hello and goodbye to strangers, especially taxi drivers and bus drivers (Disneyland's shuttle buses). It can be quite embarrassing (for me) when he does that to other tourists or people who are not in the service industry. He insisted to wear the safety belt whenever he sat in the taxi or the bus. But on the flight back to KL, he refused to wear his belt and didn't allow me to wear mine. :-| He's one weird fella!

Breakfast at Enchanted Garden :

We went to the park for 2 days but we only watched the parade and fireworks once. The second day, we had early dinner and left before the parade. PaPa brought XY to the pool at 9pm. Didi wasn't feeling well so I fed him dinner in the room. Ordered room service (kid's meal of dried noodles and desserts) coz he was asleep when we had dinner in the park. Luckily his appetite was normal despite being sick. XY went to both the outdoor and indoor pools but only for a short while coz it was very cold outside and the indoor pool's very deep (didn't bring her floats along). Actually, we shouldn't have gone to see the Big Buddha on the day we arrived at Disneyland (since it was such a rush). Should have utilised more of the hotel facilities like the pool and activity room.

Bye-bye Hong Kong Disneyland!