Thankful Hearts (December 26-31)

Our highlights from this past week (December 26-31)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Christmas parties galore!
• More free-flowing food & drink, love & laughter
• Christmas @ Khaws
• Christmas Talentime
• Audrey’s rendition of We Wish You A Merry Christmas with a twist
• Anthony’s Ninjago “performance”
• 4 logcakes & decorations for kids to work on!
• Drinks @ Duncan/Tyng’s
• Happy 3rd birthday, Anton!
• Thank you Alicia/John for wonderful beach party @ Tanjong Beach Sentosa
• Ex-BT Catch-up with VERY LONG DRINKS @ LinTon’s
• Grandma/pa back from Dubai
• Presents presents presents! Smiggles, legos, zoobs, moshi, levis, books….
• Last minute shopping
• Great weather
• Byebye longkang fish friends – thank you for staying with us for awhile!

 

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Thankful Hearts (December 19-25)

Our highlights from this past week (December 19-25)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Anthony’s Christmas performance at Wesley Sunday School
• Audrey’s first Sunday School excursion @ Fort Canning
• Running in the rain!
• Christmas parties kick into action!
• Free-flowing food & drink, love & laughter
• Eve of Christmas Eve @ Maplewoods with Betty, Jason, Yi Ting, Raymond
• Pictionary!!!
• Pictureka!
• Wagyu beef
• Two Hands
• Last minute shopping
• Presents, presents, presents!
• Christmas Day Family lunch gathering @ Mount Sinai
• Christmas Day Family dinner gathering @ Colin & Fin’s
• Fusion family Potluck extravaganza (with loads of salads!)
• BBQ for a warm grilly Christmas 
• Whack-a-Christmas-Pinata!
• Cheyenne’s lovely voice & solo performance

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Thankful Hearts (December 12-18)

Our highlights from this past week (December 12-18)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Getting things organised for the Christmas parties!
• Giant Christmas tree from the Khaws
• Starting to shop
• West Coast Park, Pasir Ris Park…
• The superhard obstacle course at West Coast Park
• The big round swing, perfect for relaxing
• A  new pump for our terrappin tank
• Rollerblades
• Climbing up the maze
• Seeing grandpa/ma off at Changi Airport
• Presents, presents, presents for the Dubai-ites!
• Visiting The Kids Kampong
• Longkang fishing is amazing
• Feeding the rabbits, fish, ducks, chicken….
• Shopping @ Tampines Ikea & Giant
• Home-styled Subway sandwiches
• Honey-baked ham
• Fresh lettuce
• Fresh tomatoes
• Mustard
• Rootbeer
• Beer
• Auntie Josie is back in Philippines for home leave
• Housework time!

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Thankful Hearts (December 5-11)

Our highlights from this past week (December 5-11)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• First-time ever…crystal mining!
• Elephant Parade… the gentle giants are everywhere!
• VivoCity Christmas Show – funny circus acts
• Audrey learning to play Christmas tunes on the piano
• Christmas carols
• Lots of reading time
• King Albert Island Creamery’s hopscotch corner
• Christmas lights along Orchard Road
• Sushi
• Ramen
• Udon
• Getting back in touch with old friends during the holidays

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Thankful Hearts (November 28-December 4)

A spoonful of heart-shaped lime sorbet – just perfect!

Our highlights from this past week (November 28-December 4)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Sizzling Science Camp (Audrey)
• Uncle Tim’s Science Trail (Anthony)
• Slime, electricity, gems, fossils…
• Preparing for Christmas parties with family & friends
• Making present lists
• Shopping!
• Christmas Smurfs’ Village
• Christmas Plants vs Zombies
• Christmas light-up @ Orchard
• 313 for Sunday lunch
• Moshi Monsters
• Sleeping in
• More rainy afternoons & cool nights
• Happy birthday, Auntie Mon & Uncle Nat

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Thankful Hearts (November 21-27)

A spoonful of heart-shaped lime sorbet – just perfect!

Our highlights from this past week (November 21-27)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Vietnam! Vietnam! Vietnam!
• Pho, Pho, Pho!
• Dong… millions & billions of it!
• All those ‘H’ places.. Ho Chi Minh, Hue, Hoi An
• Lovely hotels – La Residence, Victoria Hoi An, Hotel Intercontinental HCM
• Big winds, big waves
• Sea-facing villas
• Seaside pool @ Hoi An
• See-through pool at Intercon
• Seeing all those famous places
• Collecting pine cones
• Collecting marble.. and ‘gems’!
• Vietnamese food
• Vietnamese custom-made shoes(for Audrey, obviously)
• Local sweets & delicacies from the Ben Thanh Market 
• HSBC Premier.. great services everywhere!
• Uncle Hong
• Anthony’s Lost & found Di-Di Monkey
• The kids’ performance of Police & Robbers @ Intercon
• Buffet breakfasts
• Safe travels

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Thankful Hearts (November 14-20)

A spoonful of heart-shaped lime sorbet – just perfect!

Our highlights from this past week (November 14-20)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Audrey’s piano performance
• Teacher Eliza
• Fetching Anthony from school
• Cedele
• Mushroom soup
• Cool days
• Rainy nights
• Sunny afternoons (for swimming)
• New swimsuits
• Dimsum
• Art class – learning how to make a pond & clay ducks
• Perfect homemade pasta
• Planning Christmas parties!
• SQ Redemption tickets for Dubai… grandparents to visit soon!
• Start of Vietnam family holiday with The Lees!

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Thankful Hearts (November 7-13)

A spoonful of heart-shaped lime sorbet – just perfect!

Our highlights from this past week (November 7-13)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Audrey turned 8 this week… birthday blessings in abundance!
• More birthday cake!
• More ice cream!
• More playdates with Lizzie, Leia, Janae!
• Marche @ 313
• Smurfs
• Gargamel… especially Mama Gargamel!
• Sweet little brother Anthony
• Doting grandpa & indulgent grandmas
• Presents!
• Popcorn
• Preparing for our vacation

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Thankful Hearts (October 31-November 6)

Our highlights from this past week (October 31-November 6)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Halloween party @ Fulton!
• Treats… of chocolates & sweets galore!
• Pumpkins, masks, capes, hats, costumes!
• Funny little brothers!
• Steamboat.. hot & yummy!
• Anthony & classmates visit the Kids Kampong in Pasir Ris
• Sea urchins & spines
• Manta rays
• All types of farm animals
• Planning Audrey’s birthday party
• Audrey’s birthday celebration at home
• 2 Super-sized Peperoni pizzas – 4 different toppings!
• 2 Ice-cream cakes from Island Creamery
• Gifts from the heart

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Thankful Hearts (October 24-30)

Our highlights from this past week (October 24-30)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Deepavali…holiday again!
• St James post-concert holiday!
• Baking chocolate chip cookies on Deepavali!
• Eating the chocolate chip cookies we baked! 
• Sharing the chocolate chip cookies we baked!
• Energetic, enthusiastic Parent Volunteers
• Successful sneak-in to watch MGS Primary concert & Audrey’s Tap Dance
• Thoroughly enjoyable tap dance item!
• Crystal Jade…tim-sum, noodles
• The MGS Funfair!!
• Our funfair stall – PastaMania spaghetti & pizza
• All the Funfair rides
• Food… ice-cream, nachos, candy floss!!!
• Knick-knacks
• Meeting my “old” friends
• Running around with classmates new friends
• The dunking pool … wonderful sporting Secondary girls
• New carnivorous plants – Sundew & Pitcher plants!

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Thankful Hearts (October 17-23)

Our highlights from this past week (October 17-23)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Audrey’s one-week pure holiday bliss..thank you PSLE marking days!
• Super-long Tap dance rehearsal
• MacDonald’s with Rachel 
• Anthony’s St James concert
• Ant’s the BEST Snowflake ever!
• More funfair things are put in order…
• Wonderful dedicated & patient Parent Volunteers
• Great catch-up & dinner with our friends Auntie Carol & Cayden!
• Wiiiiiiii!
• Smurfs!!!
• Pizzas – this is appearing almosts every week, hahahaha!
• All types of Japanese food

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Thankful Hearts (October 10-16)

Our highlights from this past week (October 10-16)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• God’s help to prepare Audrey to sit for first ‘real’ exams!
• Mid-exam lunch with Lizzie at Haato
• Celebrate the end of P2 exams, yippee!
• Post-exam playtime in P2.4
• Fun-fair prep madness
• Breathers at the gym
• Library’s good stock of travel guides on Vietnam
• Playing at the Waterplace pool
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Geronimo Stilton is quite funny
• Happy 8th birthday, Jonathan!
• Zorb party!
• We love Pizzas!!!

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Thankful Hearts (October 3-9)

Our highlights from this past week (October 3-9)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Mushrooms for Anthony, especially wild ones in the park & by the roadside
• Teaching Nainai what to do with the iPad
• Ant is enjoying his concert rehearsals
• Eating Nainai’s curry with baguette
• Squeezing in time for last-minute test revisions
• Cool & calm days
• Sorting out all the things from four terms of school!
• Some more Subway – Cold Cut Trio is the best!
• Happy birthday, Joshua! BBQ yum yum! 
• Playground fun 
• Sweet potato 
• Satay

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Thankful Hearts (September 26-October 2)

Our highlights from this past week (September 26-October 2)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• GLEE 
• Sunday School teacher Joanna gave us homemade cookies !
• Children’s Day – so many presents from our teachers!
• Funny teachers & their performances
• Holiday so we can play all we want
• Welcoming Oktoberfest & lots of beer…
• And Root Beer for the kids!
• Anthony had a short bout of flu but recovered very quickly
• Happy birthday, Christian! Picotin & Horse City were perfect for your party!
• Little ponies we can ride on safely
• Feeding the donkey
• Playing swordfighting with big and small boys at the party (Anthony, obviously!)
• Pizzas

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Thankful Hearts (September 19-25)

Our highlights from this past week (September 19-25)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Audrey discovers Subway!
• Cold cut trio on Parmesan-Oregano – love it!
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Nacho chips
• The Central Sunday Jap lunch with the Khaws – super fun & delicious
• Playing by The Singapore River
• Badminton for PE (Audrey)
• Mushrooms sprouting all over Pandan Valley
• Saw a smail eat a mushroom (Ant)
• Staying dry one stormy morning - catching Mr Ong at the Mt Sinai bus-stop
• Lego’s – a toy the whole family can play!

Thankful Hearts (September 12-18)

Our highlights from this past week (September 12-18)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Happy 5th birthday, darling Anthony!
• Special Lego sets for the my birthday: Police Station AND Fire Station!
• Ninjago & more Ninjago
• Back to school – happy Term 3!
• Turtles are growing so big
• New pot for our thriving Venus Fly Trap
• Ice cream treats – Ben & Jerry’s!
• French fries
• Playground time
• Claywork @ Teachers Silas’ is really fun
• Making clay duckies & pond

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Thankful Hearts (September 5-11)

Our highlights from this past week (September 5-11)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• One-week Term Break – holiday, yippee!
• Birthday party prep week
• Daiso’s treasure trove 
• Sweets, yummmm 
• Boxes of all shapes & sizes 
• Wonderful world of Lego
• Nin…JA…GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Mamee Crunchy Noodle (even though we can’t eat too much!) 
• Tiong Bahru fishballs
• McNuggets
• Ant missed one day of school 
• All my family & friends who all came to celebrate my 5th birthday  
• My funny magician Parry Hotter (his real name is Jason Tan, same as Uncle Jason, hahaha!)
• Presents, presents, presents!

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Thankful Hearts (August 29-September 4)

Our highlights from this past week (August 29-September 4)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Grandmas
• Playdates to make the time whiz by!
• East Coast Park
• Swimming & dinner at Signature Park with our best friends!!
• San Francisco!
• Old friends 
• Skype – our family’s favourite technology!
• iPad2 (cos it has Skype)
• The Cheesecake Factory 
• The Ballgame @ AT&T Ballpark 
• Metallica – at least I can say I’ve been there, done that, tried to 'appreciate’ their music!
• Lovely summer weather
• SF shops & Shopping!
• USD1 = SGD1.24 – need I say more!
• Comfortable flights & airline lounges 

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Thankful Hearts (August 22-28)

Our highlights from this past week (August 22-28)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Italian food!
• Carbonara is my favourite (Audrey)
• Bolognese is my favourite (Anthony)
• Pizza-anything is my favourite (Me)
• All types of food are Daddy’s favourite
• Little Lambs Cell Group catch up over Sunday lunch
• Balance in all things
• Work is busy but really fun
• Teacher Silas’ Art class is really cool
• Anthony’s school friend’s birthday goodie-bag had an Angry Bird writing set
• Green Kaya cake to share with Aidan (Anthony)
• Champagne POP!

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Thankful Hearts (August 15-21)

Our highlights from this past week (August 15-21)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Italian food!
• Carbonara is my favourite (Audrey)
• Bolognese is my favourite (Anthony)
• Pizza-anything is my favourite (Me)
• All types of food are Daddy’s favourite
• Cell group catch up!
• Balance in all things
• Work is busy but really fun
• Teacher Silas’ Art class is really cool
• Anthony’s school friend’s birthday goodie-bag had an Angry Bird writing set
• Green Kaya Cake (Anthony)
• Found a magician for Anthony’s birthday party
• Decided on Lego theme for Ant’s birthday

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Thankful Hearts (August 8-14)

Our highlights from this past week (August 8-14)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Super-short school week!
• National Day half-day games day
• 2 nights at Fairmont – lovely staycation!
• Auntie Mon, Aidan, Isaac & Kaka are really fun neighbours
• Terrapins Mel & Sam are very greedy, gobbling up their food & wanting to be fed twice daily!
• Lovely chwee kueh from Ghim Moh
• Bakchang is the best for breakfast
• Also spicy noodles for Anthony
• Family meeting & games night at home – a nice change!
• More mini Lego sets from the UK – Ninjago, Pharoah’s Quest, Star Wars
• Looks like Mommy has to go to USA for work. Hmmm.
• First time on the Singapore Flyer with Popo & GongGong – very fun!
• Happy birthday, Jen! Thanks for the fun party & BBQ!

 

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Thankful Hearts (August 1-7)

Our highlights from this past week (August 1-7)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Record number of four-day school weeks in a term – no school on Monday for Musical success!
• Extra time to learn ting-xie & spelling
• Packing up our house
• Getting ready for Fairmont staycation, too exciting!
• Ran out of terrapin food, luckily there’s petshop in Ghim Moh
• Saw mini blue & red crabs at Ghim Moh petshop
• Terrapins Mel & Sam like the new pet food
• Passed swimming test – yeah, nice certs!
• Crystal Jade Shanghai Holland Village – best noodles ever!
• Family meeting & games night at Haato…again!
• Mini Lego sets arrived from UK today
• Happy birthday, Yiyi Amelia!

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Thankful Hearts (July 25-31)

Our highlights from this past week (July 25-31)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• MGS Founder’s Day – another four-day school week for Audrey!
• Happy 124th birthday, MGS!
• We got to watch Angela Angelpoise – the MGS Musical
• Seeing Coco & other classmates perform, so fun
• Dinner in the school canteen with with Jodie, Rachel, Aerin
• We bought so much musical merchandise… file, notebook, bag… 
• Ant & Daddy’s bonding time
• Plants vs Zombies – all levels cleared, woohoo!
• Family meeting & games night at Haato…again!
• Anthony was sick only for one day – hit by the flu bug
• Terrapins Mel & Sam are so cute..and shy (though they keep jumping into the water when someone enters the room!)
• BOOKED – staycation for National Day at Fairmont!

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Thankful Hearts (July 18-24)

Our highlights from this past week (July 18-24)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Racial Harmony Day
• Anthony was the coolest little boy in St James – because I got the RH Day celebration day mixed up with Audrey’s so he was a day early in his RH costume!
• Sweetie Ant said “It’s ok, Mommy!”
• Audrey got to go to school in her favourite cheong-sam
• New library books
• Garfield comics
• Garfield The Movie
• Anything Garfield
• Having family meeting & games night at Haato
• Science Trail is a blast for Anthony
• Raincoats & Thunderstorms (though not at night)
• Terrapins Mel & Sam are doing very well
• Birthday cake to celebrate Happy birthday, Auntie Pei Hua!

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Thankful Hearts (July 11-17)

Our highlights from this past week (July 11-17)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Audrey did all her homework in super-quick time and without being asked on Thursday
• Teacher Eliza and her therapeutic piano lessons
• Interesting reading from Parenting with Confidence
• ‘Sympathetic’ parents and new friends
• Family meetings at Haato 
• Soursop ice-cream 
• Passionfruit ice-cream
• Rum & Raisin ice-cream
• Science class was full of interesting animal stories
• Morning rain
• Yummy yummy yoghurt – Anthony’s every-afternoon-snack this week!
• Birthday cake to celebrate Happy birthday, Auntie Pei Hua!

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Thankful Hearts (July 4-10)

Our highlights from this past week (July 4-10)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Youth Day holiday!
• Another 4-day school week, wow!
• Back into the swing of gymming
• New friends at Art class
• Work projects come, work projects go..
• Getting down to doing Parenting with Confidence homework
• Learn something new at Parenting with Confidence workshop
• Family meetings – such fun!
• Favourite meal: Quattro Formaggi Pizza & Big Green Salad!
• Cube cream cheese – super yummy!
• Happy birthday, Jeff!

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Thankful Hearts (June 27-July 3)

“Look what Audrey found on her potato chip today: a little heart!”

Our highlights from this past week (June 27-July 5)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Back-to-school week
• Audrey’s decided to wake up at 6am every morning – such a star!
• Anthony made it to the bus every morning
• Anthony loves the Science Trail class
• We managed to fit in regular Art class for Audrey on Saturdays
• Fun with yo-yo
• Cheese & crackers
• Bak-chang (chinese rice dumplings)
• No ting-xie this week, only need to learn English spelling
• Lots of new fun action in the work projects 
• Coffee and more coffee
• Time for learning - good start to Parenting with Confidence (6-12) workshop…  
• Encouragement, will power & discipline to hit the gym… pant, pant, pant!
• “Running” companions
• We completed 5km @ Great Eastern Women’s Run (57mins!)
• Lovely homemade dinner of salad, truffled chicken & homemade pizza!

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Thankful Hearts (June 20-26)

“Look what Audrey found on her potato chip today: a little heart!”

Our highlights from this past week (June 20-26)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Final week of the June holidays…
• Fun (though a bit expensive) trip to the KL Bird Park
• Shop shop shop til we drop!
• Wonderful & safe end to Malaysia road trip
• New clothes
• New shoes
• New sunglasses
• New toys
• More playground time
• More swimming time
• Visit to the library – new books
• Great productive week catching up at work
• Got everything ready for school – school bags, shoes, uniforms…
• Early to bed again...

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Thankful Hearts (June 13-19)

“Look what Audrey found on her potato chip today: a little heart!”

Our highlights from this past week (June 13-19)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Week 3 School holidays, whoohoo!
• Wonderful catch-up at Botanical Gardens for me & the 2 kids with an old friend SC & her daughter
• Smooth clearance at Malaysian Customs
• Great weather for drive up to Malacca
• Everyone was despite “the window incident”
• Blessings and wonderful companionship of our wonderful travel buddies
• Excellent location of Renaissance Hotel Malacca
• Lip-smacking Malaccan food 
• Abundance of laughter
• Cool swim on a very hot day
• Fun boat ride
• New friends
• Exciting drive-up to KL, thanks to Mr Speedy Gomez Taxi Driver
• Lovely lovely Westin KL
• Superb location of Westin to some of the best eating places
• Best KL food ever!
• Happy Father’s Day!
• New T-shirt for daddy

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Thankful Hearts (June 6-12)

“Look what Audrey found on her potato chip today: a little heart!”

Our highlights from this past week (June 6-12)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• School holidays!
• Gym Camp for Audrey & Anthony
• Star jumps
• The amazing square sponge pit for leaping into
• New friends from camp
• Rock climbing right to the top of the wall!
• Daily playground time
• Cedele pumpkin soup  
• Carbonara pasta
• Cool “ANTHONY” name stickers
• New Disney leotard for Audrey
• Busy new work project
• Audrey gets to go for Art class with Teacher Silas!
• Very bright & colorful Vege-Garden Family craftwork

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Thankful Hearts (May 30–June 5)

Our highlights from this past week (May 30–June 5)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Whoohoo HOLIDAYS ARE HERE!
• Anthony’s picnic with SJCK Rainbow friends  
• Great weather for picnic
• iTyping Eduplus enrichment class for Audrey
• Super Science Trail for Anthony – and Audrey got to help out!
• Uncle Tim & Patrick – cool scientists!
• We got to play and play and play some more
• Swimming in the big pool
• Rachel’s sleepover on Saturday  
• East Coast ‘playdate’ – Pasta Fresca & Udders Ice Cream with Dinah & Aidan!
• Anthony got his new passport!
• Fairy books
• Incredible Insects books
• I have a new project at work – things seem to have gotten busier in a good way
• XPR won “Agency of the Year - Local Hero” award – what a recognition!
• Daddy got to play golf twice this week
• Gong-Gong & Po-Po are going to Guilin, China (and we will get presents!!)

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Anthony & His Dream Plant

Anthony’s been asking me for awhile now to buy him a Venus Flytrap plant. It was love at first sight – how apt it had to be Venus - the Roman goddess of love, haha! He was first captivated watching them in a documentary on Okto featuring unusual plants.

The Venus Flytrap is a truly fascinating plant. A carnivorous plant that catches and digests insects - and I learnt later, small animals too, such as frogs! It traps using its leaves which have tiny hairs as triggers. To prevent it from unnecessarily wasting energy or trapping things that have no nutritional value, a trap will only close when a different hair is contacted within twenty seconds of the first contact.

When he saw Chompers at work in Plants vs Zombies (fourth row from the left, behind the walnuts), it just reinforced his desire to have one. 

We finally took a trip to Far East Flora today after lunch and, lo and behold, they were in stock. He was ecstatic! He peered into each little pot and started talking about what it can and will do if we bought it. There will be no more ants, no more mosquitoes, no more bugs… He promised to take care of it even, somehow feeding it with insects and such! It became pretty obvious that we were not going to leave the shop without buying one…

So we got down to choosing what looks like a healthy plant.

Now we have to make sure this lasts… not because there are so many creepy crawlies at home that need eradicating but this little plant doesn’t come cheap - $16.80 for the little pot! Seeing the glow and grin on Ant though…Priceless!

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Passports & the Passing of Time

We received a reminder in the mail a month back that Anthony’s passport would be expiring soon. We applied for a new one and it took just over a week for the application to be processed. 

We collected his spanking new passport today and I couldn’t help but compare the two passport photos. Four years ago and now.

He doesn’t even recognise himself in his earlier photo – “That’s ME? No… I don’t think so.”. *LOL*.

How time flies!

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Thankful Hearts (May 23-29)

Our highlights from this past week (May 23-29)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Last week of Term 2 school!
• P2 Swimming PE comes to a close for Audrey …option to join swimming in school?
• P2 Speech & Drama.. Audrey is in the Chorus!
• Anthony’s super-fun St James Kinders K1/K2 Nature Camp
• Lost-and-found tap/school shoes for Audrey… phew!
• Grand-auntie Irene – thank you for sponsoring tickets to Kungfu Panda 2 @ Vivo GV !
• Audrey overcame her fears and sat through her first-ever full-length movie   
• Sentosa boardwalk & crane show
• Sentosa surprise fireworks!
• Sunday Fun @ Philatelic Museum  
• Venetia gelato… lick-your-lips-yummy!
• Pizza.. mozarella is the best!
• Sakae Sushi sushi, udon, ramen…
• We learnt about dogs from a mega-book we found at home!

 

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Thankful Hearts (May 16-22)

Our highlights from this past week (May 16-22)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Happy Vesak Day!
• ANOTHER short week at school 
• Wild time @ MGS Zany Brainy Games 2011
• We learnt how to make Friendship bands
• Tried taekwondo & self-defense…haaiiiyaakkk!
• More swimming PE for Audrey!
• Housewarming & early happy birthday celebrations for Cheeze! 
• Anthony said his fruits in Chinese
• Happy birthday, Gong-gong Grandpa!
• We did it - Cold Storage Kids Run 2011!
• Lunch get-together at Out of the Pan
• Chop chop chop Fruit Ninja
• Thank God Isaac Ng is recovering well from his broken arm
• New library books, yippee
• Best friends

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From Zombie… to CC Ninja

“I-P”.. that’s short for iPhone… can be extended to refer to iPad. And no, it has nothing to do with Intellectual Property.

This code name was coined by our friends’ child and it rolls off the tongues of the little ones whenever we meet up with this group of friends, which is most Sundays. That’s when Anthony & Audrey and their friends get together to swop and play iPhone/iPad games.

So Anthony’s very active imagination continues to project I-P virtual reality to the real world. First it was Plants vs Zombies.

More recently, he decided that there’s more use for his green dinousaur belt than just to hold up his favourite jeans. The belt holds – unbeknownst to most of us especially adults - the secret power to transform its wearer into CC Ninja. That’s short for Chop Chop Ninja. I was given a quick introduction to this interesting character - yup, that’s him on the right. Ant is the green version, for most part because he loves green but also because of this green belt. 

 

………………What will he think of next, we wonder!!!!

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Thankful Hearts (May 9-15)

Our highlights from this past week (May 9-15)… “So what are you thankful for today?”I

• Yet ANOTHER short week at school – thank you Polling Day!
• Tremendous tractors, Tough Trucks & Flashing Fire Engines!
• Last week of Term 2 tests… yahooo!
• Swimming PE for Audrey!
• Extra early arrival at MGS
• Recovering from election fever
• Parent-Teacher meet with Rainbow 3 teachers at St James Kinders
• Sensitive, patient, funny, God-loving kindergarten teachers
• Thunderstorms & lightning!!! 
• Gym, walk, jog…no, no running…  
• French fries
• Nai-Nai’s home-made Kentucky Fried Chicken… finger lickin’ good!
• Cold Storage Kids Run 2011 goodie packs!
• Abraham & Sarah… bible lesson on parents & patience!

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Princess Jewellery Collection: A game the whole family can play!

When you have a 7yo daughter and a 4yo son, there are many moments when they don’t play together. It’s usually just a matter of preference and interest. There are of course a few common ‘spaces’, like Lego – though she tends to want to make gardens and houses while he prefers trucks and construction sites. Playing ‘masak-masak’ or restaurant/kitchen/home is another – again, she’s older and prefers more structured play from providing menus and customer service to cooking elaborate dishes, while he just wants to stack cups and plates and potter around the kitchen doing stuff randomly. You can imagine the bossing around that happens with these scenario. And then, of course, there are board games – which isn’t always ideal since the 3+ year age gap creates some chaos that game rules do not cater for. 

That’s why today was extra special. After dinner, when I suggested to them to pick out something they could play together, for some inexplicable reason, they decided to settle for this: Audrey’s Princess Jewellery Collection game!

It’s a simple little game. Players spin the wheel and move their tokens around the board and collect the specified piece of jewellery in their own colour. There are some penalties as with any game. The winner is the one who completes their set first.

 

They must have played at least 10 rounds, having a good laugh with each and adding variations to the game to keep it roaringly funny. And they each had their turns winning. They were game to put everything on… and let me take pictures!!! Here are their Crowning Victory photos with the works: crown, earrings, bracelet, necklace, ring… I think I got them all?

It was just precious seeing them have such a fun together over such an unlikely game!

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