A good kind Saturday morning

... Looks like this 

5km run at Macritchie with the husband. 

Prata for breakfast post-run. 

Leisurely shower with the kids with Grandma. 

Time to clip my finger and toe-nails. 

Some tv time before they are home. 

Whee!! 

TGIF

This is my first full work week since the festivities from December. It's been a pretty long week. I'm thankful that it's over, for the lessons I've learnt, challenges I've overcome and am totally looking forward to catching up with my little munchkins, feeling a sense of separation anxiety from them after our holiday last week. I think this is pretty much how life will be - with the husband being busy and busier, with the kids being naughty/happy/sleepy/grumpy/sick... let's bring it on! Picture: June 2013

Krabi, 8 - 11 January 2014

I wanted to travel before the real year started; and the husband and I essentially only had a short window of 5 days where both our availabilities coincided. I had been nagging the husband if we can go somewhere/do something and we literally decided, bought our air tics and booked our accomodation 1.5 weeks before the actual travel date! It was a great decision and truly, a great holiday to add to our family album of travels.

8 December, 1420: Before taking flight

8 December: 1.5hours on flight-and-picking up our rented vehicle-later, we bribed the kids with snacks to keep them settled in on our drive from the airport to our hotel.

8 Dec: This is the children's playroom that houses lots of toys for children to play and run amok in. The kids used the rooms pretty much (at least once a day) and it was pretty great. After a short play/rest post flight... 

We had dinner at our favourite restaurant in Krabi. My favourites are the spicy chicken basil fry, tomyum soup; the husband likes their BBQ beef and Kate's favourite is the pineapple rice.

After dinner, we strolled the streets and indulged in some nutella pancake and ice-cream #onehappygirl

Father and daughter

9 December: After breakfast, we lounged/played water in the hotel pool. Our room had pool access on the ground level, highly convenient!

9 December: After a nap where the kids recharged after pool-time and I hit the gym, we headed to the beach where the playing continued. 

Nowhere more fun to do jumpshots than on holiday and at a beach. The kids tried but, well, they tried.

So apparently, no amount of water play is ever enough for kids. They still thoroughly enjoyed themselves playing in the tub.

10 December: Breakfast on our balcony lounge chair. That's yoghurt, btw. And again, after the morning meal we'll jump into the pool that's literally at our feet.

Then we will head to the beach (notice the horribly familiar, boring yet oh-the-best routine?); this is me with the kids on my lap/feet playing this "waves are coming" game. It's really simple. We anticipate the waves splashing in on us and scream with glee when we are washed about bobbing on our bums. Ha!

Birthday sandcake - Kate the little baker decorating it with seashells.

Singing "happy birthday"

And so, after the beach we'd hit the restaurant for dinner (yes, again. Every night we were there, that very same yummy one!) and two out of three nights we headed for ice-cream again. Simple routine, great pleasures, best kinda holiday.

And to end off, here's a deliciously cute picture of my little munchkins in their best beach gear.

Hearts, love and broken hearts

"Mommy, I draw a lot of hearts for you. I love you ok."

Kate learnt how to draw a heart on her own and she showed it to me yesterday. She very gladly drew it several times on this little drawing board and kept erasing and re-drawing it over and over. Then she presented this masterpiece to me. 

I went to bed feeling all fuzzy and loved and loving. 

This morning, Kate and I had a fight. 

She was in a mood, all weepy (probably from being tired from sleeping late and her nose was itchy and annoying her) and I was trying to be tolerant. Then she started fussing over what to wear (this, my friends, deserves an entry on its own how she is always – and I mean always – wanting to wear dresses) and when I didn't agree with her choice of clothes she started to be angry and what took the cake was how she slammed the wardrobe doors and was rude to my helper.

I'm not proud of what I did next. I stormed over to the room and start to tell her off. When she started to cry even harder, my voice level raised too and it pretty much went downhill from there – I was getting increasingly frustrated as she started feeling weepier… and it all ended up in tears and I grounded the kids from going to the playground. *hmph

I left the house for work feeling horrible and when I saw the picture of her hearts to me…  

I'm not a patient person. I've been pretty selfish and well, still am bossy. I like things done my way and I like to have some form of routine in life especially since I think it's not a bad thing for the kids. And while I know that Kate is a lot like me – emotional by nature – I'm, selfishly and unfairly, not as tolerant as I ought to be. I know how she functions on feelings and really, I also know that she needs a patient and loving Mom than a "tough love" Mom. 

I've been in turmoil and beating myself up every time I yell at home and this is something that I've been trying to work at in the last year. But I think I haven't been putting in much effort.. And can definitely do better. 

Dear Kate, 

Mommy shouldn't have yelled at you – I feel horrid when I do so and I'm really sorry. Here's to more patience and love and no more yells, hopefully sooner than later. 

Thank you for loving me despite me being not the best mom.

I love you.

Mommy

The best kinda birthday

In my opinion, it's with family doing what you like most. And our little family has been to Krabi the second half of last week. It lapsed over the husband's birthday and I think he had a good time; as did all of us.

I'll write more of Krabi soon, but in the meantime....

Us on the beach with the husband's sandcake that the kids built for him!

My baby boy

This morning, it was very hard for me to leave for work. Besides the usual Monday blues, it was not fun to leave this cutie. 

When I came home, pretty late at 830pm, he was just about to sleep. I went to the room wanting to say goodnight but ended up staying there for an hour. He insisted that I sing him a lullaby (yes he can say that) and pat him to sleep! He also demanded that everyone else leave the room. I was thrilled to take on the task because he seldom (never) asks me to do this because I'm very seldom part of his bedtime routine, usually being occupied with the firstborn. 

It felt good (and hungry) to put him to sleep. 

First Sunday of 2014

8am: I needed a hot shower so in they came with me too! 

930am: We then headed for breakfast with the grandparents and hit the park for a bit after. I had so much fun monkeying around with them both. Playing chasing monsters, merry-go-round and swings. Don't mind Jake's over-excited face. He did enjoy himself. 

130pm: Lunch was a dim-sum family affair where the husband celebrated his birthday with a yummy chocolate cake. Coincidentally, we had dimsum for his bday makan last year too!

6pm: We ended the day with a lovely picnic at Marina Barrage. The weather was cool and chilly; we had hot dog and snacks and the kids (and adults) had fun with some water play, scootering about and kites.

9 little ones who probably had the most fun!

The husband gets his second birthday cake on the same day. Such a fun day with lots of laughs, love and happiness! Hope your day was as awesome and may this set the lovely tone for the rest of this year!