This School, That School..

You perhaps cannot understand how can i ever be so impressed with a Kindergarten. 

I took what Grace learnt in school for granted.. I felt that since we are paying arms and legs for Shichida Kindergarten, the amount they have taught to her was value for money.  She's usually ahead of her peers in childcare be it her speech or her motor skills.  

Since the previous childcare Nick and Grace was in was dirt cheap, i thought that they would at least do some good job in teaching sufficient stuffs if not more. 

Well, it isn't so. 

At first i thought the childcare was facing shortage of teachers problem, so i sent Nick for enrichment classes. The other reason i thought was, Nick is a slow learner. 

Well, now am thinking otherwise.. I think the childcare has short changed the kids!! 

It's week 4 since Nick started this current kindergarten, and, 

1. Instead of like the childcare had said, 1-20.. This kindergarten is doing 1-100.  

2. Nick is spelling words, reading and writing! And not just going on and on with phonics sounds only!

3. He's reading and writing chinese words unlike in the childcare, he never knew how to read and write a single word!

Damns, what have they been doing in childcare all these while?  How much more is he supposed to know but dunno because they aren't taught to him in childcare? DARNS!

I am not Kiasu! So Not Kiasu!!  Just ranting!!

The Craze Continues.. The RSAF Museum

The mad fighter plane craze continues!! 

Bright Saturday morning, we headed out to the RSAF Museum.  We wasn't even sure if they are open since the website was last updated in 2009! 

We made rounds around that area, until we spotted the building with "The Air Force Museum". Hubby and me let out some signs of relieve!  Boy, we dare not think if we couldn't find that place or if it's closed, how disappointed the monkies would be!

After parking, as we were walking in. hubby commented "maybe the museum is only made up of these few exhibits" as that place was absolutely deserted!!

Well, in a way, hubby was pretty right.. The exhibits were a little disappointing since the kids cannot get into any of them, or there wasn't even much explanation on the model, what can the fighter planes do or how fast they could get!!  So, we just loiter around and let the Nick took some pictures.. 

Grace for some reasons got super scared of that place.. She refused to let go of my hand and kept insisting i have to carry her. If i put her down, she end up hugging my leg like a koala, and me having to drag my foot around to MOVE her.. That also perhaps explains why she's only in 1 of the many pictures we took!

Inside the museum, Nick posted in a few pictures. The place was pretty eery since we were the only people there with the weird old machines and statues. Again, there wasn't much explanations, so whatever questions Nick had for me, answers were based on my limited knowledge or some bullshit answers!.. 

Nick on the only stimulator which he pretend that he was a pilot. Grace finally got off from hugging my leg, stood there and watched for a while.

After that, the monkies watched some video fighter plane demo which made Nick so excited that he reminded me again that he wants to pilot a fighter plane when he grows up!.  *Am keeping my fingers and toes crossed he doesn't changes his mind!*

Nick here with the "fake man" in uniform.. He claims he likes the one in green better.

Some other smaller fighter planes that was "tied" to the ceiling on the way out. 

*pictures taken by Nick*

While we were leaving, a staff approached us and asked if we are interested to see a 5 mins video screening on the air force. It wasn't was informative as i have expected it to be, nevertheless, it didn't fail Nick since he wanted to see the planes. 

Not a bad place if you have time, and is looking for a quiet place.. 

Location:

RSAF Museum

400 Airport Road

Singapore 534234

Opening Hours:

Tuesday to Sunday

8.30am to 5.00pm

(Closed on Monday & Public Holidays)

Buses:

SBS 90 and 94

(SBS 94 not available on Sunday)

Free Admission

Desaru Fun! (Dated 3 July)

It was out of the blue that hubby and me decided to head up to Desaru! Friday morning we talked bout it, and Saturday, the whole family headed out to Desaru! Yes.. That's almost how impromptu our trips are!!

Us on our way there.. 

Arrived!! Finally.. After the 2.5 hours drive.. 

Hubby and me in the van at the Fruit farm.. Picture taken by Grace.. Not bad hor!

The fruits at the farm..

The Koi pond in the farm..

The mini zoo in the farm!

Us at the Ostrich farm.

Parents are Silly creatures, aren't they?

And i am one of the silly one too!

While Nick going "gila" over his fighter planes, so is his mummy going "siao" over his new found ambitions!

As much as i know children's ambitions are "2 days wind and 3 days rain", i somehow hope i can help him to realise his 1st big ambition.. :P

Already, Nick had made me scan all the pictures from the NDP newsletter, enlarge them so that he can paste them on his wall. He went 1 step further by comparing the newspaper and the scanned pictures, identfying which models they are and scrubble them on the paper as well.. He asked for extra copies of the printouts so that he can learn to draw them. He's asked to go to borders to look for books on fighter planes and air force uniforms..

And me, been sitting beside him seeing him do all these silly activities. I have promised to bring him to the library tonight to look for books on fighter planes.. I have gone to the extend of contacting the air force on how can Nick join the air force in future and also checked with them if he can still join the airforce if he has flat foot and according to his doctor, he will be only doing clerical jobs only.. Good news is, Nick still has a chance of joining the airforce! And, the helpful staff was so nice to even tell me when he turns 17yo, with good O levels results, he can apply to join the airforce. Hope the policy, by then, will not change yet!

This weekend, we will visit the air force mesuem so that he can learn more bout them.. :)

Small Fellow, Big Dreams!

Nick has 2 ambitions after the NPD preview..

1. He wants to join the air force pilots the fighter plane..

2. He wants to be the President of Singapore..

I wish the 1st ambition can come true at least.. :P The 2nd ambition is kind of tough and far, but not impossible..

Jia you Nicholas!! :)

Happy 45th Birthday Singapore!

It's still a bit early, since it's neither Singapore's Birthday nor Nick's Birthday yet! But well, by chance, some unknown Mr Nice sms-ed me by mistake telling his friend he has some 2 tickets for the preview for him. :P I asked if i could have them since none of the monkies had watched the NDP live before!  And he offered the tickets to us instead..  Not only did he offer the tickets to us, he offered us 4 tickets!! :) Of cos, he made my day and he made me so thrilled that i simply forgotten i needed 5 tickets instead of 4.. Haha.. How could i ever be so BLUR!! 

Nevertheless, while we were leaving home to catch the parade preview, Grace cried buckets when she came to know that she will be left behind.. After much pleading and crying, we decided to try our luck at the door. 

Count us damn lucky!!  Luck didn't only strike us once, but TWICE!! At the entrance, we were told that only 4 could enter the parade preview since we only had 4 tickets and another hunk saved our day.. He had 2 tickets but he only needed 1 to enter.. So we gotten the extra ticket from him and head into the padang for the preview.. :P 

* In the pictures, you see both Nick and Grace opening their mouths so big cos they were screaming at the top of their voices when the hear National Day songs that they knew how to sing! Machiam so proud being part of the parade!!

* In the last picture, you see Grace taking the flag and cover her face, that's because she was so scared by the fighter planes and mummy was too busy telling Nick to watch, taking pictures that i didn't get the chance to hear her telling me she's scared!  So in order to prevent herself from crying, she took the flag and cover her eyes hoping that by not seeing them = not scared! Made us laughed till our tears rolled up while we were looking thru all the pictures!

 

Dilemma..

The family wants to head up to Genting.. Gramps wants to do KL/Genting from a Friday to a Tuesday.

It's tough to convince myself that a short trip with the monkies means "pon-tang" school for Sam who is already attending Primary School.

I know Sam badly wants to tag along with Gramps and, Gramps aren't visiting Genting over the weekends..

It's a really tough decision isn't it..

Backlogs

Oh gosh.. It's 2 am now, and i am still not done with clearing my May/June backlogs.. 

Have a been too lazy or did we go out too much?? 

But it's really easier and more convenient to post them on Facebook then blogging bout them.. :P

Sob sob.. 

Stay tune for more updates for what we did in May and June and well, July.. :)

A Baking cum Movie Date with Best Friends and Kids!

It first started with a movie date.. i 'chio-ed' a few girlfriends with kids to catch Toy Story 3. Then, auntie Irene came out with this idea of meeting up before the movie for a little baking session with the kids.. 

So, this came about.. 

Grace mixing her nutella into her cup-cake..

Nick and Ernice.. 

Hiroshi..

It was supposed to be a kid's baking session, not too sure why auntie Xtine was busy "digging" the nutella.. 

Auntie Irene, our baking "instructor"..

Then, auntie Xtine busy writing her name on the cupcakes.. 

Auntie Jen and Jake were also busy filling their cuppies..

Our cuppies are almost ready to go into the oven..

While waiting to put the cuppies into the oven, Nick and Grace were busy taking pictures of each other..

The cuppies are BAKED!! The "fruits" of their labour!!

After that was the movie date which we had forgotten to take pictures cos it was super chaotic.. Never in my life had i gone to the movies with over 20 people.. :P 

The date was fun.. We should do this again real soon!!.. :)

An Impromptu Trip to KL (Dated June 2010)

It was a normal weekend when we pop by JB so that the monkies could play with their cousins and a family dinner with the in-laws.. 

Grace on the swing

Grace on her get-around-scooter..

After dinner, the monkies refuse to go home.  They claimed that it was a long long time since they stayed at a hotel.. And, it didn't take long for daddy to decide that we are heading to KL for a short weekend trip!  With no clean clothes in tow (except the monkies PJ since we had plans to deposit them with in-laws so that hb and me could catch a movie), we had to pop by a local mall to get what we needed before heading up to KL.

A 4 hour drive up, we arrived around 11ish, ate supper and pop into the hotel for check-in without a reservation. The only thing we could do was keep our fingers and toes crossed, hoping they have rooms, otherwise, we will be hotel hopping around the town, looking for a room.. :P

After check-in, the monkies instantly dozed off after changing into their PJ..  

The next morning, lil monkie woke up, EXCITED!! 

Then, they declare they wanted to go for a SWIM, but it was too early. The pool wasn't opened yet, and even if it did, the water would be too freaking COLD! 

So, the 2 monkies ended up "swimming" in the bath tub.. 

So cute hor.. I heart this picture.. Nick's head here look double the size of mei-mei's one..