TGIF - movie night

On a whim, the husband arranged for movie night.

Junk food and cartoon - hooray

It was a simple enough affair, we met, ate out, ate more during the movie and caught Cars 3; something that's lighthearted and simple enough for the family. TGIF!

Last Friday, just because I was on leave

It was the eve of the husband going off, and we both took leave to accomplish important adult matters. Because, however, of my late night, the husband stepped in to do school run with the girl, and I managed to wake up in time to drop this boy at school.

Botak 1 and botak 2

After the morning of adulting, the husband and I managed a quick lunch; then it was still early for child pick-up, so we did a supermarket run together. Nothing sexier than supermarketing in broad daylight!

And they say romance is dead. Heh.

The afternoon snooze button really hit and after picking the girl, both she and I dozed off on the drive home where the husband braved snooze to pick the boy up.


After washing up and resting some, we headed out. I had major plans of a picnic, or scootering with the kids... but decided that simple was best.

FRIYAY!

We strolled along the river, while the husband had his dinner nearby. We saw beautiful skies, a colourful bridge, lovely trees, the river... and we decided on our dinner spot because it housed a temporary jumping castle. Ha! Important factors in making critical decisions! While the children jumped the castle, I ordered our dinner. They also explored the area; quite extensively, I say.

Girls can climb trees too!

And boys can sit still to draw too.

The boy did a lovely drawing of this scenery, with his interpretation of the trees, buildings, people on hoverboards, tiny boats... it was adorable. We had a fancy dinner and I wish to say the night ended well, but it did not. I was hit by 'convection current ala- the-worst-tummyache-ever-where-I-broke-out-in-cold-sweat-feel-faint-type-of-pain' - and thankfully, the husband was close enough to pick all of us up safely. There came a point my head was spinning so badly I thought I was going to faint. (On this note, I have actually fainted from this tummy hit before, so my worry was legit.)


Thankfully, the husband rescued us all and while he continued packing into the night for his flight out the next morning; I crashed into bed, nursing my sore tummy.


The end.

Pyramid

For no reason at all, we did this.

Boy at the tip!

Of course, we're fair to have both try it.

Girl at the tip!

This was at a house party with this bunch of mad friends, and it's crazy how we just do random stuff like that! Oh funny times.

Weekend highlights

Badminton FTW! So, it's been yonks since I played badminton, and I really mean yonks. K had a taste of it at school and because she asked, I have been asking my badminton-enthusiast-friends to ask me along so that K can play. This happened last Saturday and I love it! It was painful (physically) due to the massive muscle ache we suffered from traumatising our master arm, but I'm happy to (1) try something I have not for a long time and (2) enjoyed a fun and healthy hour with the children and friends.


I was so focussed on playing that I did not snap pics. Courts are booked on time-basis and we only had an hour so every minute counted!


Post the game, we brought ourselves (minus 1-able-arm) to dinner and what are the odds, bumped into the friends at dinner. Only then, did I manage to snap a pic of the little ones.

Do-re-mi.

Highlight of Sunday was time to ourselves (husband and I), and still being in the piggy-mood, I was not inclined to exercise so we headed out for breakfast. We ventured to Tiong Bahru, to have breakfast and buy some meat from the grocer's; and as a small adventure, we stepped into a café I saw while driving by, Drip's.

Salted caramel + strawberry mango. Mmmm.

The rest of the weekend was the usual of loving the family, spending time together... and the greedy me even tapau-ed  2 more tarts to try and share with the sister (lemon meringue) and husband (almond).


Thankful for time to rest and play!

A funny, bunny Good Friday partay!

We got the invite to our first home-based Easter party, and I was looking forward! It was an evening with family, of yum food (I only had 3 servings of nasi lemak. Hee!) and games. I can always trust the sister to conjure up the best parties and this did not disappoint.


We all gathered on this cool evening, and it was a nice mix of family and friends. While waiting for people to arrive, some of us started to eat first and I was full and happy when the games were starting. *burp

Briefing

It's always important to pay attention during briefing, because we want to know what to do and how to win. Just check out the pros...

Intense much.

First game in the line-up, was the egg hunt! So, some of us may or may not have spotted eggs while we were eating our dinner. Turns out the sightings were not entirely helpful because we had to pick eggs only from our team colour. Ha, good one!

The hunt is on

Some hilarious moments included
(1) some competitive person (it's a sibling and not the sister) exclaimed "Wa! Mine is the worst colour lor! Everything is green!" *snigger
(2) every other player lamenting "so harrrrrd, I can only spot (another team's colour) egg!"
(3) me - the most invaluable player. I spotted zero eggs of my team colour. #atleastImhonest


It was good fun and I was truly horrified at my poor eyesight! Thankfully, my team did pretty ok, uncovering 4 out of 6 eggs #nothankstome


The next game, was "Pin the tail on the bunny", with inspiration from the original donkey.

The youngest/smallest bunny; also the sweatiest

K and her bunny tail pin

Again, there were hilarious discoveries including
(1) the son is a sore loser perfectionist. He was very upset that he did not pin the tail properly.
(2) the daughter was a sweet player. I knew she was sad/upset that she did not do well, and she lamented of her poor performance a few times, but she kept it well under control (instead of losing it). To me, this was a sign of a maturing child who is conscious of her behaviour and I was so proud of her behaviour.
(3) the son is a sabo king! He - uninitiated, may I add - began trash-talking the other teams by confusing them with his instructions?! Who taught him that?! Annnnd, he's victorious (yes, he did YES!) when they did NOT pin the tail properly and got angry when the winners did?!


What great fun and I do appreciate the other players not judging us (maybe they did, but just concealed it well.) and allowing my children, to be well, children.


The final game was a 3-legged egg race.

We did 51s.

This last game was (also) hilarious, and here are the key take-outs
(1) Children take baby steps. Like, literally.
(2) The son is a sore loser. Oh, I said that already. He teared when we dropped our egg and was frustrated that we did!
(3) The brother and his wife are champion 3-legged-racers. Like, they are professionals*.


*Professionals because on a random occasion some years back when our family played this 3-legged-race, they won it. They totally owned this title again this race!

Victory!

I laughed so hard during the games, yes, even when I was the MIP (most invaluable player) because the point of it all was to have fun, and I so did. I also enjoyed the snacking, the eating, the drinks (I had 1, d*mn the leaky nose) and just about everything about this evening.

Winners.

Audience

It was such a lovely time and I am so thankful for the sister and her busband for organising this. The husband missed it, and perhaps he can be involved next time to up the Seah-game, possibly?


Hope you had a lovely, lovely Easter weekend too.

Good Friday

It's the long weekend! Hooray! It's a bummer that the husband is away, but we do what we gotta do and try to enjoy ourselves despite of his absence.

This morning, I awoke to the children pottering around the house (when I say pottering, I really mean stomping around like giants and talking shouting at me before 8am in the morning as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I reciprocate by ignoring them to my best ability. It's usually a half-win with K but sure-lose with J.) and I felt super tired when my alarm went off (of course, I did go to bed at 2am but hey. it's my me-time so don't judge.)


Anyway, the plan this morning was to go to Slappy Cakes. I'd read of this a long time ago and today was the right time to bring them. The place is pretty small, and we were lucky that when we got there, we were first in line (a queue formed behind us while waiting for our table). The menu was simple, with options to pick batter > accompaniment > sauce/extras. We tried a set of that (buttermilk base, strawberries, hazelnet spread), along with 2 different types of breakfast sets. They all turned out pretty yummy and I was quite happy.


The highlight, was of course, making pancakes!

Self-explanatory pic

Serious business

The children had so much fun and it was a joy watching them enjoying themselves. They were so enthusiastic and boasted that they would be able to finish another tube of batter... but I convinced them that we wouldn't really be able to and that we'd be back again. It was sweet when they gained confidence and offered to cook pancakes not just for themselves, but for the granny, helper and me.


After eating, we strolled around the Grandstand and got some snacks (Easter cupcakes and a lemon pound slice, and another coffee for me from the Dutch Colony). We also chanced upon a playzone/playground. We had no time for playground play, so I offered for the children to take a ride. Star Speed, it was!

A rolling, spinning, sports car that 'flew' forward/backward/sidewards.

We had no time to stay on as the big girl had tuition, and so we left. Thankfully, the children were well-behaved and did not fuss much. We had a nice drive home and drove right into a thunderstorm! It was pissing rain and I was glad that we were headed home, in comfort and safe. While the girl revised her work, the boy and I had some quiet play time.

LEGO builder

We have a party to attend later, and I'm looking forward. To hanging out with family, as well as have fun as I know the sister has put in effort to have games and stuff!

Official invite

Right now, I'm enjoying my pound cake with berries, with music playing, recapping our day... while the kids recharged.

Peace & quiet

I miss the husband. A week before he is back!
Happy Good Friday!

Last Friday night

A crabby feast. Some HH drinks. So thankful for little life moments.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair

That's what they were playing.

Singapore Sling last Saturday

Due to our free Saturday afternoon, the husband - on a whim - suggested that we go for a drink. It was luscious.

Peanut snacks, our drinks and the best company in the world

We also introduced the concept of peanut earrings to the children - who were thrilled to no end.

Peanut earrings

Such an amazing and enjoyable time together! Really loving our time together on the weekend as a family. Woot!

#jaketales

Facebook flashed up some adorable pictures of my not-so-little-baby boy, and these pics are so amazing I have to re-share them again here.

When J was only 6 months old. That was his original face, with
lack-of expressions. Serious much.

Then this pic shows how the husband always dreamt he will dress his mini-me up - in exactly the same way he dresses himself.

Stylo-milo

To finish off this random post of ah boy, here's sharing a conversation he had with my mom. They see each other every weekday morning, as my parents help to drop him off at school. On this particular morning...

J: Nainai, I have a mosquito bite.
Nainai: is it bad?
J: No. Don't worry, it is not ZIKA mosquito, because it never fly to AMK.


Haha! TGIF!

Spending time with my firstborn

K had no school on Friday and as a treat, so that she and I can spend more time together, I brought her with me to work. It's nothing too exciting, nothing over the top, but having her with me the whole day gave me a nice, warm feeling as we could have lunch together, and while she had pockets of time where she was not by my side, it was still nice as I had intended for her to just be with me, so that we can just well, hang together-ish.

My plan of ending work earlier did not truly happen, and it was already 5 by the time I was ready to go. We spent some time having ice-cream though, and lunch was also her choice (ugh, horrid McDonalds!) and I guess the day was pretty successful as she was with me, through the day, and it was a nice change from her daily routine of school/being at home.

A yoghurt all to herself

Look at her, all limbs and such an adorable child. She is growing up, as she should be, and I still marvel at how this girl is my child. There is so much to learn on this parenting journey, and while I struggle to be patient, I do hope that she knows that she is loved beyond the moon and back. I do not expect her to be a genius, but I wish her to have a heart of kindness. I do not expect her to be a millionaire, but I wish her to be sensible to ascertain right from wrong. I do not expect her to be perfect, and I always tell her that I will always love her, no matter what, even if I am mad/frustrated  with her - because no one is perfect and I hope she knows that I am imperfect because I get frustrated and snappy with her; yet she will always be perfect in her special way, in my eyes.

Ah, this crazy thing called love!

Good riddance

 

GOODBYE GERMS AND INFECTIONS AND MEDICINE.

 

And... hello Friday.

A Good Friday at the beach

Munchkins

 

Heading outdoors is such a happy affair. The sun is shining, the breeze is cooling, the kids are laughing... all we need is (1) coleman with ice to chill the drinks (2) random food like chips, simple sandwiches and fruits (3) play items like frisbee and beach toys, and (4) comfort materials like hammock, mats and if you are professional like us, a make-shift table with chairs. That set us up proper for a good 3+ hours.

 

In that time, the husband and I also completed a good workout that consisted of a 1km swim in the sea (pant pant the waves make it so much harder!) and a 5km comfortable run along the beach.

Post-workout happiness

 

Throw in some silly games to fill our guts with laughter ...

Eat-the-chip-on-your-face-without-using-your-hands

It was a lovely, lovely start to our long weekend.

A fun office tour to Facebook

I am privileged to have visited my office neighbour, Facebook some weeks ago. I chanced upon a lunch invite and I was glad it happened! It made TGIF even better and sweet. We started off with lunch - not just any lunch, but a sumptuous buffet lunch spread across 4 different cuisines. I opted out from the Vietnamese, but took dishes assorted from Western, Local and Indian. Despite being full, we managed to find space for coffee and desserts, naturally. The cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner - all complimentary - and there are six chefs who were hired from top hotels in Singapore to helm the kitchenette - amazing!

 

My overfloweth lunch bowl and desserts (there's a tiny LIKE on top of that cake)

 

The cafe is located on the 33rd level, with an amazing view of the Marina area. It was well-lit, the cafeteria was buzzing with energy and it felt super!

 

To work off our heavy lunch, we went for a walk around the office that spanned over 5 levels. We worked our way from level 26 down to level 22. A key central attraction is the centre stairwell thrown about with confetti, giving a delightful feel throughout the office floors. Incidentally, this installation is by an ex-colleague who is dabbling into the arts scene and I felt so proud seeing this installatio with my own eyes, after reading of it and seeing pictures of this stairwell.

 

Confetti strewn stairwell

SHIP happens - this is their mail room - love the cheeky sign!

 

Tech vending machine for staff

Amazing branding

Our afternoon turned upside down

Friday groovin'

Mahjong, anyone?

Beer on tap (no, we didn't have any)

 

An interactive touch-screen that displayed statistics and whats #trending

Friday fun crew



I had such a fun tour that took nearly 2 hours! My afternoon was thoroughly well-spent and the group of us were laughing away until our bellies ached. I appreciated the open culture that FB offered to its employees and visitors. Their benefits (free lunch!) are amazing and I'm so jealous! Having said that, however, I think that every job has its perks and I am thankful for my own job that's pretty amazing too. I'd love to visit it again and hang out, just for giggles #like

 

CNY celebrations at LEGO office

HUAT AH

 

On the 8th day of Lunar New Year, the office invited some adorable lions to dance in our office.

 

Picking 'qing'

 

Finale

 

Lucky numbers, anyone?

Honestly, the highlight was the food (surprise surprise). Feasting is so under-rated and it's so legitimate to indulge when it's celebratory! And also because yusheng is only an annual occurance, I truly enjoy it when it rolls around over Lunar New Year. The mixed fusion of flavours, the crunchy 'golden nuggets' in the form of crackers, the salmon/abalone/smoked duck (all different variants of the 'yu') - I love it! Especially so, when it looks like this:

#Ilovemyjob

You can't really see the scale from the picture, but that was formed across two tables and it was pretty huge! Am thankful that the company created this festive lunch session for us to have yet another reason to laugh, mingle and huat away!