Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

On Sunday we took the boys for a picnic at the BTNR, its really quite nice, lots of people doing walks and there is a big park for kids.... and nature stuff like ants and monkeys. The boys really wanted to just go home tho...

to play Guitar Hero on the Wii... now I never thought Karaoke would do well since it did not appeal to me, I can't imagine how a group of people would want to use fake instruments to play and pretend they were rock stars, but after being the drummer for a while, its really quite good fun. The boys seem to have a better interest in learning drums on the Wii than at the music class...

Upcoming Lantern Festival

Its almost mid autumn festival again, I have been snacking on my favourite mooncakes... lotus paste with NO egg yolk. We were supposed to celebrate this at Pasquale's house this saturday but his little sister, Elizabetta now has hand foot and mouth disease so we moved the celebration to our house.

Here are some traditional lanterns... which runs the risk of accidently going up in flames as real candles are used. The not so traditional ones, like Ben Ten... well have a bulb and are really annoying with the music tune... Jin has even tried to pry out the music thing but to no avail... the light goes out as well and the plastic thing is cheaper than the traditional lantern, unbelievable.

Will go out and get decorative lanterns from Chinatown, will have fried rice, jiaozi and satay, wonder if that combo works... we also bought sparklers for the kids and here is a pic of their first time ever playing with a sparkler... they really do not know what to do with it, told them to write "o's".

Its the festival that chinese pyromaniacs like best....

Nate can ice skate!!!!

Sorry there are no pictures as I was on the ice with him, after a session on ice and 2 rollerblading classes, today he zipped around the ice rink with the bars, along with caden, causing havoc to other skaters, about the last 15 mins I convince them to ditch the bars and they both had good balance and seemed to have a sense of the ice that nate could go round the rink without a bar.

I guess Ike needs to strenghten his calve muscles a bit more and then he too can skate... today he fell asleep in Jin's arms, nestled between big boobies of a pregnant woman, happily dozing off... without his shirt on, the people who worked at the rink could not believe that he was not cold, that guy may be some sort of scientist exploring the north or south pole someday?

I love my GPS

especially now that loren has programmed in the Chinese version... this is part of my plan to get the kids to learn chinese, with the english GPS, they are sometimes like little parrots, "now turn left"... now they say, "wang juo juan", heh heh heh. I also found that the voice of the GPS is a lot less annoying, I used to wonder in ads left by chinese nationals on boards for either language or music teachers that they add the additional line, pleasant voice or pleasant looks. Had not thought that was of high importance but now with the smooth voice of the chinese GPS, I could listen to her alot longer!

Yesterday, I got to school and Nate said, "wo mama lai jie wo le!" (my mom has come to fetch me), a first independent sentence that is not, "mama qing gei wo..." (mom can I have...). I think I need to buy a phrase book (ah better yet, let me ask his teacher what they learn every week in chinese) and do a new sentence a week, as he learns fast when there is a little snack like food involved (these maslov beings).

This is a picture of nate pulling a boat across the flatbed river at the zoo.

The building is quite an interesting one, I am looking for potential sites to have a book launch party for my granddad's book next year, as it is being joint published by the National Archives, I went to look at their building, its central but too small for an exhibition. This building I see often when taking the kids to Toys R Us, its in the city but a strange one, so I walked in and there were no people, very clean a BIG alter table and they provide free medical consultations. But prob not suitable either, so its back to the drawing board.

Nate now has his own leapster and one of the games has additions in it, I am surprised how fast he is picking up additions. Sure beats workbooks!

I have been reading Mitch's book on the 6 pixels of separation and have actually learnt alot! I am quite the luddite but I didn't realise how much so! I think the book will be a hit. Mitch, please come out for a book tour in asia!

Kara's birthday party

As the boys get older, the birthday parties seem to get more interesting, today we were at the skating ring, Nate had his first rollerblading lesson last week and maybe because he could not go on the cement part that he did not find it interesting. On ice instead he had this metal support thing that made his balance easier and he is the type of kid that wants to skate fast before he can balance properly. He did enjoy himself alot more than the roller blading lesson...

Wii and leapster2

Here is Ike looking like a real violin maestro, very squeeky sounds tho... the black halo... well that was my old phone, now I have a new one and have to learn to use the photo function.

Over the weekend of the boy's birthdays, they also got a wii (which I suspect will be the hit of the Rosh Hoshanna dinner) and a Leapster 2 (an educational hand held game device from Aunty Jin). Nate seems to be able to do alot of the games and I now need to hunt down the chinese cartridge... ike is still poking around...

Nate is quite good at boxing on the Wii and bubbi watch out, there is bowling!!!

Nate and Ike's birthday

Sorry for the small images.... been nicking them off loren's posting on facebook, I shd be taking the larger image ones.

Singapore has a few things to consider when one has a party, the heat outside, the possible rain (not like SA when the first week of sept is guaranteed to be great weather), the mosquitoes.... so we had it indoors and a place where someone could conduct some energy burning exercises for the kids.

Nate is starting to realise that there is no candy at his birthday party and tonnes at others! hmm, next year... maybe we will do some marshmallow cookies, with less sugar?? The guys who ran the gym venue are really good at keeping the kids on their toes.

Nate wated a Ben Ten one and Ike a Thomas themed one... we have lots of cake left in the fridge. This year also he has learnt from other kids that one need not open a present per day and did the big rip up.

Today I took him for his first rollerblading lesson, I don't have pics cos my nokia phone camera seems to have a dark halo and I am awaiting a replacement phone. The boys are adjusting well to school adn the 245pm pick up time, which has given me more time to work on my granddad's stuff. On Nate's school door is "I like...", Nate's one says, "I like to tease my brother". A certain girl's says "I like to marry nate...". Hmmm. The boys have 3 more birthday parties in the next two weeks, an ice skating one, a transformers one and a gogo bambini one. Where can I get princess dresses in this town for the girls b'day party?! I should have bought a heap of princess crowns at disneyland.

Its been an interesting few weeks, I have had prelim meetings with animation people, venture capitalists or are the private equity?, art funds and the next stage brings webs designers, TV documentary people and the trip I need to plan to Beijing and Shanghai end of October. While all that is happening... the british museum also calls to tell me of their new acquisitions related to the period when my granddad is still in China and mom has found even more items for us to track down in the libraries and online old books in China.

This Friday's party.... ROSH HOSHANNA. Tomorrow, I take a break and Vini is taking me and Bridie to the wholesale market here. I am making no headway with my tomatoes... they are growing big and strong from my compost but the birds keep eating the flowers!!!

Nate is back to the Shaolin monk look

Yesterday I arrive at school and get 2 reports on nate and ike... nate had taken scissors and decided to cut chunks of his hair out, luckily they caught him before he started taking chunks out of his friends hair or worse a ponytail off a girl?!

This morning he came to my room asking for the #1 shave and so he now looks like a monk again, well, the haircut was not bad, a small patch of unevenness from mom the barber...

Ike... ike... ike... bit a little girl, hope I don't have to bump into the very upset parent. The little girl did however grab his spoon. I am noticing that Ike gets really aggressive when he is tired which is not good... not sure what remedy will work on this biting thing. There seems to be a little power gleam in his eye when I talk to him about this biting issue. He does not answer in the affirmative that he will stop biting, so far he has done it in self defense or anger... I feel like he may make a hobby out of it. Anyone any suggestions? he is still quiet yummy, maybe I should take a chomp!

Here's Phil's wedding pic for those who know him, finally married off, he definitely was glowing more than the bride.

Sunday...

Here's Eduard my nephew turning 18... my car is in danger! haha, it all started with mom letting Eduard's dad and siblings drive her car at about the same age... then they letting me and now its my turn... then one day they will have to let Nate and Ike drive theirs! reciprocity.

Here is nate after a movie (G-force) with sage... and the boys after a bath.

A weekend of birthday parties

and girly ones too! ariel at one and barbie cakes, I got to Helen's bday party early and got to decorate cupcakes... that was fun. Nate had his first session of jewish sunday school. Learnt about the up coming Rosh Shannah and how apples and honey are essential.

Boy's back at school!!

The boys now go to school from 830 am to 245pm. Since last weds, ike fell asleep on the weds and thurs last period but fri managed to stay awake then plopped asleep in the car. I suspect he will sleep today as well as he woke up before 6 am, he has done 2 days of successful night no diaper! Phedre the headmistress in SA was right, just start them! otherwise how will they learn. I have tried to find a flannel cloth like the piece I bought from a supplier (mom) at Broadacres but there is no substitute here, am almost tempted ot buy 6 of those super absorbent sheets that one buys for kitchen use, sew it up and then place on bed.

Here is ike, with his new James the train that moves... he took Zeda's S$50, went to the store and got that, with 10 cents remaining as change. Ouch. But he can spend hours looking at that train chug along the railroad line, what is it about trains and boys???

So Vini's marigolds have done tremendously well... going there the other day made me feel like springtime in SA where all the flowers have come to bloom! Very very nice....

CNIS school orientation

was held today, nate and ike got to join lilin and her kids, sage and jonas to the zoo, while I went to the school for the orientation. This is the view fm the assembly hall, I looked out and thought, wow at least they get lots of fresh air here, a nice forest behind the school.

The teachers gave a little introduction of themselves and Ikes new teacher is Japanese American but grew up here, she speaks more like a singaporean than me, his chinese teacher seems really nice as well. The orientation booklet... I have now figured out the scoring system, ike has been getting D's!!!

Today I also joined Ike in a violin class, the teacher was very good, later I found out he was the principal. It was interesting to see ike interact with another adult, he actually whispers. Although he does talk more around people he is familiar with, I wonder how he will be like in school.

HK Disneyland

is a HOT HOT place in summer. We must have gone on over 100 buzz lightyear rides, shooting our way thru space and the evil emperor, Zurg.

I think the kids enjoyed it tho Ike was definitely sapped out by the heat and passes out in an early nap every day we were there. Nate had the widest eyes at the fireworks at night, Ike watched only half the show and said he was tired and wanted to go back into the stroller.

We got to see old friends who travelled from HK to disneyland to see us. The hotel even has a disney princess service where you can buy a princess outfit, they do your make up and hair and you get a picture taken! Thank my lucky stars I don't have one of those, tho nate was afraid we would sign him up for a package.

My kids must be the only one's scared of mickey mouse... as they really did not like it when any of the characters approached them.

Ike turned 3 at Disneyland - wheee.