Scraps of Life

Path (dot) com

2011-12-14T16:20:00.005+08:00

Recently downloaded the app Path, which is an iPhone journal. Trying it out. Seems easier to post stuff esp pictures, location etc. And much more private than a blog or even Facebook. I like the interface as well...

Go try it out if you have iPhone or Android -- Path

Comment below if you like me to add you.

The Christmas Tree

2011-12-09T12:40:00.001+08:00

Our Christmas tree in the living room. The theme is the same as last year, Red and Gold. Love the star at the top the best. But some of the fragile glass ornaments are really glittery and gorgeous.

The Alternative to Swimming

2011-12-06T10:37:00.001+08:00

It has been raining a lot these past couple of weeks. Typical of December. So swimming lessons typically get cancelled. There are other things to do besides swimming at the club. This is just one of them.

Weekly Scraps

2011-12-02T16:39:00.000+08:00

I've gone out of my comfort zone with these two layouts. I'm using Sassafras which is not one my usual style. But I really love the backgrounds. They fit the photos really well. I've also mixed and matched leftover papers from other collections, OA and Pink Paislee. And used different layout sketches. Both of which I don't ordinarily do. I did like how it all seemed to blend together at the end though.

In the second layout, I didn't have time to finish the journalling AND take a photo so I just took the photo. I did complete the journalling in the end. I also tried out the new Frixion pens by Pilot. Where the ink can be rubbed off by friction. And doesn't leave a trace. Quite amazing actually. Great for me because sometimes I tend to have some mistakes in the journalling. I will get more...

Brothers

2011-11-29T12:12:00.000+08:00

Brothers = God Choosen Best Friends.

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An Amazing Weekend

2011-11-21T11:19:00.001+08:00

Yep, had a great weekend. Tiring. But great.

For one, Hubbie's back! :) Yay. Missed him a lot. I wasn't sleeping well for one thing. And it was rather dull in the evenings without him around. So he's back, and I'm sleeping better. No more headaches in the morning...

Another thing, my company had a conference over the weekend in Rasa Sentosa. So they sponsored a night's stay. I just had up top up to pay for the difference for a larger family room. So the kids got a night's stay in Sentosa as well.

The hotel was rather crowded because of 3 weddings happening all at once and it was a weekend. But they really had a great time. At the play areas and the beach. But it was oh-so-hot! So we all cooled off in the pool.

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Weekly Scraps

2011-11-19T16:32:00.000+08:00

So I'm finally working my way into my August photos. This is a photo of my boys during their school's National Day celebration. They are supposed to wear red and white. The colours of the Singapore flag. I usually take the opportunity to wear my red Ferrari top which is the only thing red that I own.

I used the rest of the OA school house collection. I especially love the chipboard banner. I just had to use it all up. I like how the layout turned out bright and cheery.

Since the National Day is always a school holiday, we spent it at the club together with all of Bryan and Gabriel's cousins. They all had an awesome time. First they went swimming, which turned out to be a fabulous thing to do. It was an incredibly hot day. Then, when it got too hot to swim, we all went bowling. And enjoyed fries with chicken wings.

For this, I used the rest of my old OA stuff, mainly from Campfire and Thrift Shop. Flowers and leaves were from a friend. I really like how OA collections can be mixed and matched, to create unique layouts.

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Kinder Graduation

2011-11-17T14:30:00.001+08:00

A big congratulations to Bryan. He graduated from preschool yesterday. It was a big ceremony with each child called up to receive their certificate. Complete with the cap and gown. So proud of him. He's done really well so far. And he's really growing up well. It's been a great 4 years in Ascension Kindergarten. He has made lots of friends and his teachers like him a lot. I hope he keeps his friends, even as he moves on to the next stage of his life. Primary School.

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The Weather Report

2011-11-15T12:47:00.000+08:00

The weather in Singapore's been changing from hot and dry to not-so-hot and wet. December is typically the monsoon period, when it rains and rains. That day, it was baking hot. The boys wanted to take a walk but found it so sunny that they both put on their 'sunglasses'.

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Enjoying a Hot Day

2011-11-13T22:46:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to Bryan who was just awarded his Bronze Swimsafer Swimming Award. He swam great. And did everything else very well too. Very proud of him!

That day turned out to be a very hot morning and noon. Gabriel chilled out in the wading pool. While Bryan took his Bronze test. It was all very well for the two of them. While Mommy ended up finding pockets of shade to rest in while playing photographer. Phew! It's a good thing I decided to slap on lots of sunscreen too.

The day ended with a cool thunderstorm which meant we all slept very well that night.

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The Big Camera

2011-11-11T15:29:00.000+08:00

Since hubbie borrowed my camera for his Japan trip, I am left with his Nikon D700. I don't usually use his camera because it is very heavy. And very bulky. It does not fit into my handbag as easily as my Lumix. I have to carry it's own shoulder bag.

But I have to say, it takes beautiful photos. Even without trying very hard. The colour comes out fabulous. And even if there is a colour cast from the lighting, it's easily fixed. Way better than my Lumix which I already think is a great camera.

So here I am playing with it, getting fabulous shot after shot of my dog, my boys and everything else in between. I am so tempted to try out the new micro 4/3rd Lumix cameras. If it can give me photos like these, it would be awesome!

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Best Friends

2011-11-09T15:25:00.000+08:00

Best Friends - My two boys had a great time on Monday. It was a public holiday and they had an awesome time together. In the morning, we explored a new playground. Bryan had the time of his life exploring the playground. Gabriel was very brave with all the slides.

In the afternoon, I let them out of the house for a bit. Bryan went cycling. While Gabriel tried out his scooter. I made him go slow. But it was great fun for him. Better than just the garden. I do need to get him a proper helmet.

I think they are beginning to realise what fun having a brother can be. A God-given best friend. And together they learn how to share things with each other, play together and care for each other. Which are great life lessons for their own personal growth. (And since they can keep each other company, they don't pester Mommy so much)

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Weekly Scraps

2011-11-07T23:45:00.000+08:00

These photos were taken when Bryan was learning to ride his two-wheeled bicycle. He has since mastered it quite well. And loves his bicycle a lot. He's always badgering me to let him cycle outside the house.

Gabriel is still too young to ride a bicycle. But he does enjoy building his sandcastles on the beach. Doesn't he look so cute with his sunglasses on?

For these two layouts, I used a mixture of Pink Paislee Daily Junk as well as the latest Nantucket collection. I especially love the hexoganal shaped tiles and the wooden alphabets from Pink Paislee.

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Pony Ride

2011-11-05T14:01:00.000+08:00

The weather was great last weekend. It was also the weekend that I knew lots of kids would be at home studying. So I brought the boys to the zoo. It was just the 3 of us. And we had a lovely time. The zoo was definitely quieter that morning. And there was hardly a queue for anything.

Bryan wanted to go down to see the kangaroos. So we went that way. But the kangaroos weren't in. Maybe it was too early? So he was a bit disappointed. Since it was still early, Bryan wanted to go on his pony ride. But that was quite a distance away. I thought we should take a lazy ride on the tram around the zoo to the pony ride. And Gabriel was happy with that too. He liked the tram. Although he kept calling it the train.

At the pony ride, Gabriel also wanted to sit on the horse. And he was really brave about it too. Even though it was rather high up for him. And it was his first time. When he got off, I asked if he wanted another go. Gabriel said, "Tomorrow." Bryan on the other hand, enjoyed himself tremendously. He had a great time.

I bought the boys a drink and off we went on the tram back to the entrance of the zoo.

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A Special Scrap

2011-11-01T11:11:00.000+08:00

I don't usually do altered stuff. I much prefer to do layouts which I put into folders. However, I recently managed to get this lovely wooden photo display. And I decided to use it to showcase some of my favourite photos from our Melbourne trip.

I first coloured the frame with Prima's chalk ink. And I cut out various icons from Webster's Pages leftover papers. I used a lot of their Seaside Retreat and Yacht Club papers. I also used Prima's flowers, tiles. And AC alphabets. I was actually quite concerned with the papers/pieces falling off. But so far so good.

It was fun doing this altered layout. It's a great visual reminder of the trip without having to flip through albums. Previously, I did some altered board books. But I realised after everyone has flipped through them, stuff would start coming out or bending at the edges. And I had to keep them away from my boys. But this photo display is much more practical. And there's no need for excess handling. I might do more of this next time...

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Concert 2011

2011-10-31T11:28:00.000+08:00

On Saturday, both Bryan and Gabriel had their school concert. This would be Bryan's last year in Kindergarten and his last concert. And Gabriel's first one. So it was a special one for us. Their grandparents came along to watch this time.

Bryan was a school boy. And his number consisted of kids dancing to the song by Justin Bieber "Never Say Never'. I'm not at fan of the singer or the song. But when my boy performs to it, it's a great song. In his performance, Bryan had a solo bit where he did cartwheels. It was fabulous! I'm so proud of him.

Gabriel did a spanish number. And he had a couple of shakers to use in his number. He was really cute! I thought he'd be a bit lost but he was actually not too bad. He remembered where to go and stand and he moved to the beat.

We got everything on video. It was awesome. I was one proud mom.

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Short Trip

2011-10-25T03:36:00.000+08:00

This weekend we took a short trip down to Malacca. We wanted to run in the new car as well. It was a good drive, there wasn't any jam at all. And the weather was good.

The food was fabulous. We had a wide variety of stuff, from noodles to suckling pig and 'bah-kut-teh'. The boys enjoyed the drive in the new car. Bryan especially had his own seat at the back of the car. But I think they enjoyed the playground the most.

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Time Off

2011-10-21T12:10:00.000+08:00

I spent the first half of the week with the kids. I took a couple of days off to do Mommy things like pick them up from school, fill up forms for Bryan's new school, getting Bryan's new school uniform, sending Bryan to his swimming class. Then the car's battery went flat, and AA had problems restarting it. So had it towed back to the service centre to get it recharged. So had a mostly busy start to the week.

But it was nice to spend some time with the boys, especially Bryan. I was surprised to see how much he has matured. He could be helpful and usually remembered what I told him. And he didn't throw much of a tantrum at all and stopped whining. I think perhaps it had to do with him starting primary school next year. I think he knew he needed to behave a bit more like a big boy.

Gabriel is still cute and adorable. And still my little boy. And he's learning that a NO means a NO. He still throws his tantrums but it's not as bad and he stops once he realises he's not getting his way. And the two of them are getting along, although Gabriel still tends to take advantage of the fact that he's younger.

Sigh, they grow up so fast...

Weekly Scraps

2011-10-20T11:38:00.001+08:00

These are my last photos I wanted to scrap from our Melbourne trip. It was a nostalgic trip for us, a lot of the buildings and landmarks were still there, almost 10 years since we studied in Melbourne University. And it was great to see everything again. I had a great time in Melbourne and sometimes I do miss the weather and some of the landmarks in Melbourne.

I used Websters Ladies and Gents collection with Country Estate. I thought both collections went very well together. The wooden clock is from Kaiser Craft. Flowers from Prima.

I love this photo. It's taken in the apartment we rented in Melbourne. I am actually trying to get Gabriel to finish his milk before going out. Hubbie took this photo of him laughing. It was perfect timing. I used up the rest of Websters Country Estate and some icons from Ladies and Gents. Alphabets from American Craft. Flowers and bird from Prima. I also used Prima's new Chalk inks to ink the edges. The Chalk inks are small and shaped like a tear-drop which makes it easy to ink uneven edges. It's fabulous to use for that distressed look. And they are very affordable too.

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Haircuts

2011-10-17T12:43:00.000+08:00

The boys had their haircuts on Sunday. Bryan had his done in a grownup salon. At one of those $10 places. Gabriel still gets his done in a kids salon. It's more expensive but he gets to watch Thomas and he is also given a balloon after.

Aren't they looking so smart now.

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Weekly Scrap

2011-10-11T15:30:00.000+08:00

Skiing... Bryan actually learned how to ski when he was up in Mt Buller in Australia. He took lessons and after that, he could ski a little bit. We were very proud of him. I think he just needs a few more lessons to start skiing with the rest of us.

This layout I did right after I got Prima's new distressing tool and chalk inks. The inks are very easy to use and when applied, actually really looked vintagy. The distressing tool, I experimented with the edges of the photo mats. It's not so obvious in this photo but looks nice up close. The tool is very easy to use, you can use it to scrape the edges of the paper and distress it in various ways. No more scraping with fingernails and sandpaper.

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Three

2011-10-10T10:10:00.000+08:00

It was a busy weekend for all of us. We were celebrating Gabriel's birthday. He turns 3! He also shares the same birthday as his grandfather. So it's quite a big celebration on Saturday. We celebrated with a dinner at the riverboat parked at Marina Pier. It's quite a nice, intimate setting for a lovely family dinner. They have delicious steak, ribs and even fajitas. The kids enjoyed fish and chips and spaghetti.

Then on Sunday, we organised a playdate with a couple and their daughter. Gabriel quite took to her the last time they met and has been asking about her. So I thought it would be nice for him to enjoy an evening playing with her. We went to the new indoor playarea, Amazonia. At Great World City. It had a huge jungle gym which Bryan had such a great time on. And also a smaller play area for the smaller children. Gabriel enjoyed both areas. Although the slides on the jungle gym were a tad tall and scary even for me.

We had a fabulous dinner at Imperial Treasures and topped it off with ice cream at Ben and Jerry's. I think Gabriel had a great time. He looked like he really enjoyed his birthday.

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Steve Jobs 1955-2011

2011-10-06T11:16:00.001+08:00

What Steve Jobs created, was not just amazing products, but an entire way of life. Apple's iPhone, iPad, Macbook, has defined the way we live today. And the way we communicate with each other. Look all around you and someone will have an Apple product in their household. Kids want them, adults need them. Especially when we have friends/relatives overseas, Face Time is invaluable. The stability and quality of Apple products are legendary. And the whole concept of iTunes and the Apps... Nothing else comes close.

Not just Apple fans, but the whole world will miss Steve Jobs. He is an absolute genius. May his legend and spirit live on.

Weekly Scraps

2011-10-03T15:37:00.001+08:00

Yes I know, I missed a week of scrapbooking. But I'm catching up. I am finally starting to scrap the holiday photos of when we were up on Mt Buller. This was a special experience for my boys because this is the first time they've seen the snow and been out in the cold. And they really enjoyed themselves. I saved up Webster's Pages previous winter collection for our snow photos. Simply because I loved the colours. And even though it was meant to be a Christmas collection, it worked very well for our photos. I also used Prima's lace and jewels in white which stands out much better in real life than in the photos.

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Photo Strips

2011-09-28T15:20:00.000+08:00

Edited with Pic Frame

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Singapore F1 Weekend

2011-09-24T10:01:00.001+08:00

Out with the boys on Friday night to watch an F1 practise session. It's really something to watch it live vs on tv. Even if it's just a practise session. We saw a couple of seperate minor incidences with a Ferrari and a Mercedes. It wasn't too crowded at the Bay grandstand either which was nice.

This was my best shot with my Lumix LX3. My camera is awesome. I pre focussed and then just clicked when the car was in the right frame (Aperture priority - the camera automatically adjusts the speed). You can even see the Red Bull words clearly.

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Weekly Scrap

2011-09-21T15:28:00.000+08:00

These photos were really fun to take. We were at a vineyard in Melbourne and the boys discovered a huge leaf pile. They took turns jumping in it. Bryan discovered how to rake the leaves in a pile and was trying to keep everything together while Gabriel was messing everything up. It's the first time either boy has seen so many fallen leaves in a pile before.

I used the last of my old Prima collections. I used up the rest of the rub ons too. It's not so clear in the photo but I've also used some old Prima jewels for this layout too.

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Happy Birthday

2011-09-18T11:54:00.000+08:00

Happy Birthday Hunnie! Wishing you a very blessed year ahead. And many more years together. I love you. *muacks*

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Weekly Scraps

2011-09-15T16:10:00.000+08:00

Yarra Valley Vineyard - This was a unique experience for all of us. We took a drive down to the Yarra Valley in Victoria. It is the perfect place to have vineyards. And there are so many of them around. That day, some of the wineries had an open house for visitors to taste their wine and have something to eat. Some even have a live band to add to the festivities. The wineries we visited were actually very crowded. And the atmosphere very lively. We spent the entire afternoon there.

I used the last of my Websters Spring Market papers, journalling cards and chipboard buttons. The colours and motifs were perfect for the photos.

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Mooncake Festival

2011-09-11T23:56:00.000+08:00

It's the night of a full moon, lanterns and sparklers. It's the mooncake festival or mid autumn festival. The kids get to carry lanterns and the adults get to eat mooncakes. Which are yummy and oh so fattening. Some of the older kids including Bryan get to play with sparklers, which is probably the highlight of the evening for them.

Meanwhile, the other side of the world remembers a horrific day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the survivors and their families. No one should ever have to go though anything like that. And I hope never ever again.

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Weekly Scraps

2011-09-09T03:50:00.000+08:00

18 June - Bryan's birthday party at the Cuckoo Restaurant. He turns six!. We had a buffet dinner with lots of yummy food. And Bryan had a yummy chocolate birthday cake at the end of it. It was a great day for him. I used Webster's Let's Celebrate collection for this. It was perfect for his birthday photos. The flower and jewels were also from Websters.

This photos are from the same night. It's a group photo with all of us in it. I'm quite happy that the photo came up ok. The restaurant was quite dark inside. I used the papers from Webster's Spring Market. While the flowers and jewels this time are from Prima. I did a lot of cutting for this layout. But I liked how the layout matched the photo.

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Bryan's Solo Performance

2011-09-05T11:16:00.001+08:00

This weekend, Bryan had his usual chinese class. But this time, the kids were putting up a little performance for the parents. And they've only ever prepared for the performance in the 1/2 hour or so after class started. It was great to see the kids enjoying themselves doing the rhymes.

There was a new addition to the usual rhymes. This time, the kids had time to do a solo bit if they wanted to. It was very interesting to see all the younger kids coming up to do their solo bits. While the older kindergarten kids all didn't want to.

All, exept Bryan. He decided to give it a go. He actually did remember a rhyme from one of his classes so he recited that. It went very well. He was actually quite good. I am very proud of him. :) And I did get it on video, although he was a little soft on it.

Fun in the Zoo

2011-09-01T16:57:00.001+08:00

This is what we were up to during the recent public holiday. Our zoo membership allows us unlimited trips to the zoo. Which is great when there are 2 kids to entertain. This time, the grandparents came along. It was a simple trip, not much walking to do.

We took the riverboat ride up to the children's section of the zoo. Where we had ice cream. It wasn't a very sunny day but still warm enough. Then we took the tram back to the entrance. We still managed to see some animals, including the very cute small monkeys. Then the boys discovered something new in the zoo shop... animal hats!

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Weekly Scraps

2011-08-31T15:37:00.004+08:00

Puffing Billy in Victoria Australia - This was a special treat for Bryan, for his birthday. In the years that I was in Melbourne, I've not taken this train ride either. So it's something new for everyone. I like the vintage look that Prima Londonerry papers give, which complements the vintage steam engine. The cardboard cutouts are from Prima Printery. I also used October Afternoon Boarding Pass Miscellany train tickets and other train related stuff.

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Razor Thin

2011-08-28T21:30:00.003+08:00

So the results of the Presidential elections in Singapore are officially out. After a recount and a nail biting finish. Dr Tony Tan won by a razor thin margin. Only 7000 plus votes. After more than 2 millions votes were cast. That's about 0.38% only. And he only got the votes of 37% of the people of Singapore.

I was disappointed. Very disappointed. I felt that Dr Tan Cheng Bock, who came in a close second was a clear winner. He spoke from the heart and he would be a people's president. And he would unite Singapore under one president. I didn't think Dr Tony Tan would be able to achieve that given that there are a lot of Singaporeans who are still anti-PAP. And everyone knows Dr TT is the unofficial PAP candidate.

I hope the ruling party gets the message. I hope they realise that even in their own party, the people are split. It will be a long 5 years for them. They need to start listening to the ground instead of living on their own high horse. And finding better PAP candidates to represent the people.

Weekly Scraps

2011-08-25T15:23:00.002+08:00

I've finally caught up to the photos in June. And the major event in June is the family trip we had to Melbourne, Australia. It's a trip long time in coming. It's been years since me and hubbie have been back since we graduated. So it was nice to go back and reminisce. It's going to be in a whole album by itself. And probably going to take me a couple of months.

The newly released October Afternoon Boarding Pass arrived just in time. It's perfect for the travel theme. I also used items from their Miscellany pack. The Together stamp is from Unity Stamps.

It wasn't just us during this trip. My in-laws came along and a couple close to us also came along. It was a small party of 6 adults and 3 children. But made the trip much more fun and enjoyable. There was lots of time to sit and chat as well. We rented 2 cars so we could go at our own pace. The children enjoyed each other's company too.

These 2 pages were done with Prima's previous collection. The earthy, natural colours matched the weather in Melbourne at the time. I liked the yellow to brown leaves and blue skies. Prima's flowers and jewels complemented the papers very well.

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The Presidential Elections

2011-08-22T14:22:00.003+08:00

This Saturday is the Presidential Elections for Singapore. This follows a rather interesting General Elections earlier in the year. And this time there are 4 candidates. Previously there haven't been as many (or even just one). So it's going to be very interesting. Even if I'm just going to be sitting on the sidelines.

For one thing, in this elections, only the post of President is up. And in Singapore, the post of the president is very different from the president of other countries. The President of Singapore doesn't have as many executive roles. As far as I know, he has the final say on the use of the country's reserve. He doesn't have any political clout on any other government policies. But he is an important figure to Singapore as he represents Singapore to other countries.

For the 4 candidates in the elections, this is important. There is no use campaigning about being the voice of the people or wanting to institute change. I think most of Singapore is also aware. And the elected president will also have to be able to conduct himself properly in the international scene. I don't think Singaporeans want someone to stir up more trouble with the government itself.

That being said, since the president is supposed to safeguard the reserves, he should also be one to stand his ground if he feels the government is using the reserves unnecessarily. So he needs to be someone who doesn't just agree with everything that the government does. Most of the candidates at the moment are trying hard to show that they have their own mind. But in the end, whoever Singapore ends up voting, has to be someone that the whole of Singapore can stand behind.

Weekly Scrap

2011-08-18T15:28:00.001+08:00

31st - A rare pink feminine layout. All about me using Websters Celebration line. I also took the opportunity to use up my pink flowers. We celebrated my birthday in Marina Mandarin. It's a nice getaway for the weekend.

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Weekly Scraps

2011-08-11T13:07:00.001+08:00

It's interesting how just one line, Campfire from October Afternoon can have two so different looks. One is about a recent trip to the zoo where the kids managed to feed the giraffe. I used the reds and yellow to brighten up the green and brown. And the other layout is about a sleepover in a hotel. I used more of the deep blues and stars in the layout. I quite like the chipboard accents as well. The flowers are from Prima (as always) and alphabet Thickers are from American Craft.

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46th National Day

2011-08-09T23:50:00.056+08:00

Happy 46th National Day Singapore! It's been a very busy day for Singapore and for us too. All of us working people have a day off which is great. So our boys spent the morning with the cousins in the club. It was looking to be a very hot day. And we spent the morning cooling off in the pool. The kids were on the slides. The younger ones on the small wide slide at the baby pool and the older ones on the bigger slide. I think they had a lot of fun. Even the babies had fun.

Later, it was really getting to be very hot. So we adjourned to the bowling alley just upstairs. We booked 2 whole lanes for ourselves. The younger kids had buffers so the bowling ball wouldn't keep falling into the gutters. The older kids tried without. The rest of us enjoyed the air-con and the snacks. It was nice to spend time together out of the house for a change.

I could tell Gabriel was very tired by lunchtime. He was a bit moody. But still wanted to walk and play with the fishes. Literally. He wanted to step into the pond. We also discovered that Seletar Club was home to a turtle! Flippers and all.

The very hot day evolved into a very warm evening. And that meant it wasn't going to rain at the Parade. This year, it's at the Floating Platform. There were the usual marches and all. And then there were the hilarious 'big pao' floats. I liked how the parade incorporated elements from the Singapore River as well.

But the whole parade also told a story. About the Singapore Spirit. About perseverance and hard work together. Which is what made Singapore an economic hub in just 46 short years. I think it's a good message to the younger generation. Sometimes, we forget how far we've come in such a short period of time. It's thanks to the older generations.

Wavehouse

2011-08-08T13:56:00.001+08:00

We were invited to a birthday party at the Wavehouse at Sentosa on Saturday. There is actually a big flow machine where you could learn to surf or bodyboard. Bryan gave it a go and he was quite good at it. It did look like a lot of fun. Although it would be more for the bigger kids. There is an option to book some of the smaller wave pools for a party like today.

If you turned around, you would see the beach behind. It could look really gorgeous in the evening with the sunset in the background. After the party, the kids headed out to the beach to swim in the sea. Gabriel, too young and small to join in the fun had to contend with splashing at the edge and mucking around in the sand. Still he had fun and was super exhausted at the end of the day.

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Boys...

2011-08-05T16:58:00.001+08:00

Why do boys like to play with guns and join the army? Why can't they just sit on my lap and read a book?

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Weekly Scraps

2011-08-03T16:10:00.001+08:00

The kids had their Kindergarten open house in May. We all went to look at their artwork and classrooms. They were all nicely decorated depending on the theme of their lessons.

October Afternoon Schoolhouse was perfect for all their school related photos. I also used LYB clear stickers. This layout has Bryan's school projects. I especially like the little 'Angry Birds' that his class made. It's supposed to be a stress ball. It's incredibly cute.

While this layout has Gabriel in his classroom. He showed me how good he is at sitting down and doing some work. He also played along with the games in his classroom. Sometimes, he mentions his teacher, Miss Ong at home too. I think he likes her.

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Milestones

2011-07-31T20:04:00.002+08:00

I'm very proud of both of my two boys. They've achieved a couple of difficult milestones this week.

Gabriel has been toilet-trained during the day. He can say when he needs to go. And he can also go when we ask him to. So we can leave him off diapers for most of the day.

Bryan meanwhile has been learning how to cycle over the past couple of months or so. And just today, he finally got the hang of the balance on the bicycle. Now he needs just needs a longer stretch of road to cycle on to practise.

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Weekly Scraps

2011-07-27T15:36:00.001+08:00

Learn - Something New. Gabriel had a class trip to the bird park with me in tow. We learnt about penguins and eggs. And had fun with the rest of his class. There was even sometime at the end of the trip for some of our own photo taking.

I used LYB Baby Saurus Collection. I especially liked the tiny envelope embellishment. And of course the cute dinosaurs.

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Swimming

2011-07-25T15:24:00.001+08:00

Gabriel has been asking to go swimming for a while already. Bryan gets to go swimming once a week, when he has lessons. But it's nap time then for Gabriel. So Gabriel hardly ever gets to swim. And when we talk about swimming, Gabriel would jump in and say he wants to go swimming.

So this Saturday, we decided to go swimming in the morning. Gabriel was so happy and excited. He was very good though. He sat through breakfast, and waited while I stashed my stuff in the locker, changed etc. Then he really enjoyed himself in the pool. He likes the wading pool with the slide. But he also wants to join in when Bryan is playing the big pool.

Gabriel's temper tantrums are getting better. He stops after he realises he's not going to get what he wants. He's also starting toilet training. We take his diaper off for a while everyday, and he is able to say when he needs to pee. Which is great!

Meanwhile, Bryan has a school excursion today. They are going to the Singapore River. It's going to be an educational thing for him. And very good timing too. The Singapore National Day is coming up.

Weekly Scraps

2011-07-21T15:46:00.001+08:00

I've been MIA from this blog for a bit. For some reason, I've been feeling very tired lately. Not sure if it's because I'm not sleeping enough. Even the weekends have been busy, with lots of stuff to do. Or maybe I just need to find time to exercise a bit and get my metabolic rate up. While I sort that out, here's a couple of layouts.

More Universal Studio photos. I used Websters Trendsetter paper and journalling cards. The bird and flowers are from Prima. I love the Panda pose in this photo.

The last of our Universal Studios photos. I like the yellow cab. So bright and classic of NY cabs. There happened to be a Websters Trendsetter paper with the cab on it. I saved it especially for these photos.

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Weekly Scraps

2011-07-11T17:36:00.001+08:00

Universal Studios - I finally started on our Universal Studios photos. And I massacred a Universal Studios Guide brochure to get the logo and some commentary on the rides. It's the only one I have but I can always get another one from Sentosa. I simply love the daisy stamp. I had also gotten the OA 5 & Dime papers but didn't know what to use it for. Until now. I like the vintage look it gives and the bright colours.

Rides - In contrast in this layout, I used black as a background. I like the blackboard paper from the 5 & Dime. Looks almost like the blackboard we see in some cafes. I cut out the blackboard notices and placed them as the background. I didn't want to use the original paper because too many notices were too distracting. It's not quite my usual style but I like the way it looks like a notice board.

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Primary 1 Registration

2011-07-11T11:54:00.003+08:00

Primary school registration in Singapore is a huge process that all Singapore parents go through. It involves deciding which school to send your child to. Then finding out which 'phase' your child is eligible for. The earlier the phase, the higher the chances of getting in. For example, if your child has siblings studying in the school, it's almost guaranteed that your child would get the place. As opposed to if your only affiliation is staying near the school, you may not have the chance to send your child there.

Because the more elite schools supposedly have better teachers and a better education program, it can get really competitive. To the point where parents move house to be nearer to the school of choice. Or even volunteering in the school to get their child in.

I still believe it's the child's attitude to studying that determines his grade. And yes, parents do play a part too. So I'm sending my two boys to an all boys school. Which has an emphasis on their second language, Chinese. It's also nearby and it's where my Hubbie was from. Bryan has cousins in there as well. So I hope he adjusts ok to the school next year.

A Late Post

2011-07-07T12:12:00.000+08:00

Whoa, I just noticed I haven't written in a week. Still adjusting to the new clinic. With a different set of patients. The clinic assistants are nice which helps a lot. I love the shops/food stalls around though. There's everything you can think of. The only thing is it's far from the town centre so I can't go shopping when I'm bored.

Last weekend was busy. My dad, the kids's grandfather came down for a visit. He stayed with us too. And the boys had a lot of fun. My sister, the kids' auntie was also there. It's nice that they got to know her too. Gabriel was a little shy at first but he warmed up to her as well. The only thing I kept forgetting was to snap photos. Sigh...

I'm still not quite all here. Must be the early mornings after the school holiday break. I have to wake up early to send the boys to kindergarten. My head is still in the process of catching up with the rest of me. Maybe I need to start taking more brain food.

Weekly Scraps

2011-07-01T16:52:00.002+08:00

Pat, pat - This was taken during a zoo trip. Bryan happened to be fortunate enough to be able to pat a kangaroo. And later on a dog who had performed in the animal show. I hope all these trips to the zoo will help him to appreciate Nature and all of God's creations more.

This was done using October Afternoon's Campfire collection and some Hambly's rubons.

A Big Kite Adventure - This was taken on one of our trips to Marina Barrage to fly our big orange kite. It didn't fly very well that day. But the boys had fun.

Also using October Afternoon's Campfire. The daisy is from Penny Black stamps.

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Photos

2011-06-28T15:50:00.001+08:00

Mount Buller

Yarra Valley Wineries

Puffing Billy

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Back to Work

2011-06-27T17:18:00.001+08:00

We had a lovely week long break in Melbourne, Australia. Only just got back on Friday. I know I should have posted sometime during the weekend. But I spent most of it unpacking, cleaning up/uploading photos and sleeping. Suddenly been feeling exhausted after the trip.

And hubbie has disappeared to Indonesia for the week. Sigh... I'm glad we had the time together in Melbourne. It's was really nice to go back to all the places we've been when we were studying in Melbourne. Loads and loads of memories for us. And now plenty of new ones. Like when we went to the Yarra Valley to the wineries, and driving up Mount Buller.

The kids enjoyed themselves in Mount Buller, where for the first time, they've experienced real snow. Bryan had a lot of fun. He also learned more about the different seasons in the year and how to ski. I think it's a good trip for him too. Gabriel didn't quite like putting on all that snow gear but he enjoyed playing in the snow too.

But it's back to earth for everyone. Meanwhile, I've just restarted work in a new clinic. Nice place with nice nurses. It's not as posh as my old clinic. But comfy and cosy. I can definately see myself here for another few years.

MIA

2011-06-16T15:00:00.002+08:00

For the next week, our family will not be around in Singapore. We are all taking a much needed break over in Melbourne, Australia. It's been 8 years since I've left Melbourne after graduation. And I haven't been back. I do miss Melbourne. I have lots of good memories of Melbourne. And I've made a few good friends there too. It will be great seeing some of them again and visiting some of our old haunts.

Of course the kids will be going with us this time. And we will be doing some fun stuff with the kids. Including bringing them up to Mount Buller to play in the snow. Bryan is super excited about it.

I spent the last weekend packing. Had to start packing early. So I don't forget anything. With the kids around, I need to pack for them too. And I definately can't forget things like the socks, underwear etc. I almost forget that we are going to Melbourne. If we do forget anything, we are probably going to find it in a shopping centre there...

Weekly Scraps

2011-06-15T15:52:00.001+08:00

This was taken the morning my two boys had their Chinese New Year celebrations in school together. It was nice to see them enjoying themselves. In costume too! I used Websters Marketplace collection. The colours are so vibrant and gorgeous. Fits the theme perfectly.

I used the same collection but muted the colours a bit with the craft cardstock. I also used some stamps. And Hambly rubon. This time, Websters came up with printed chipboard buttons with matching string. It was lots of fun to use.

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A Star Wars Birthday

2011-06-13T15:04:00.000+08:00

Bryan's friend, Jeremy's 6th birthday. There was a really 'cool' looking Star Wars, Lego birthday cake there. The little Lego pieces are actually edible. But the figurines were provided by the mother.

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As Tall as a Giraffe

2011-06-12T15:03:00.000+08:00

We went to the Zoo on Sat. And managed to catch the giraffe feeding. There had been some renovations in that area during our last visit. The Zoo had improved the giraffe exhibit, with a bigger open space for feedings.

Bryan happily joined the queue and enjoyed the close contact with the giraffe. It's the first time we've seen a giraffe up close. With it's long tongue.

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Weekly Scraps

2011-06-09T15:05:00.002+08:00

I love this photo. My two boys posed very well for this photo. There are quite a bit of details on this layout. I used up lots of bits of scraps from the Yacht Club. As well as the doily and the stickers from the same collection. Aren't they just so nice and sweet together.

This photo was taken of both of us at hubbie's company dinner. It was supposed to be a themed dinner and we had to show up in a costume. Hubbie picked the Flintstones outfit which suited us quite well. And we won the best dressed couple for the night. It was quite fun. I used the rest of the Wonderfall papers, and journal cards. I also used bits of the dinner ticket in the layout. The film strip is a Hambly's rubon.

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Another Year Older

2011-06-06T13:35:00.000+08:00

Had my birthday celebrations with the family last week. It was nice and cozy, a family affair. Seperately my best friends took me out for lunch. Even though we have our own families, it's nice that we find the time for each other. All girls need some time out with their girlfriends right?

The kids are home all day because it's the school holidays. So they are also up a little later than usual on weekdays. And that means I have less time for hubbie and myself after they sleep. That and for some reason, I've been more tired than usual. I've been taking naps over the weekend. Which is unusual for me. I hardly need naps. Maybe there's a bug going around at home.

So this post is a little late. I like to take some time once or twice a year to stop and think about what's been going on. Recent events happening around the world does make me worry a bit more about the family. I wonder if we'll be prepared in the event of some disaster. I've been making a point to keep extra supplies at home. Especially for the kids, their milk powder, diapers, etc. Maybe I should also expand it to include other necessary supplies too. Instead of waiting until things run out.

Otherwise, I really do need to start some exercise. I feel tired and lazy a lot of the time, which is not really good at all. It's been over 3 years since I had a good exercise program going. Sigh... The inertia gets worse as you get older I realise.

The other thing is my scrapbooking. Work's been picking up and I've only been managing about 1 page in a week. I really need a proper table to work on at home. I'm now doing it on my bed, on a table tray. Which isn't the best.

But I am looking forward to the coming holiday we've planned in Melbourne. With the kids around, I know I'm going to be busy looking after them. Should be fun anyway. I hope...

Weekly Scraps

2011-06-01T15:05:00.002+08:00

Just at the start of the month of June, I finally get down to scrapping our 2011 New Year photos. The ones we took on our cruise. I love how the theme of the paper collection fits so well. Especially the fireworks. I used mainly Websters Yacht Club. And Prima crystals.

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PTM

2011-05-31T16:17:00.053+08:00

So I just attended my 2 and a half year old's parent-teacher-meeting. Yes, they start them that young. And we were discussing Gabriel's communication skills, social skills, self-help skills. And his problems, I was mostly aware of. It's good to know his teachers were actively helping him with regards to his language and self-help skills. And they felt that he was about the average in terms of his development. Which is what I was hoping to hear.

And I left the classroom with his artwork and a report card. Report Card. They give 2 year olds report cards too.

My two boys are very different, in terms of personality as well as independence. I know Bryan, my older boy learns things very fast. So I'm not too concerned that Gabriel is not as quick as Bryan. Gabriel has definately improved in terms of his speech and communication. He's a little like me, quiet and sometimes shy. So he usually doesn't say very much. But he has been becoming chattier since starting school this year. He has started to string words together in sentences. And it is becoming easier to understand him.

Meanwhile, Bryan is quite the opposite. He's very sociable and chatty in class. His teacher has made him a group leader of the Yellow Group. Which he enjoys. He has little problems with his English and Maths work. So school is pretty fun for him. Except Chinese, which he still needs a bit of help in. And he doesn't concentrate as much in his Chinese class. But at least he has the next half of the year to improve.

Birthday Surprise

2011-05-29T18:27:00.001+08:00

Chun Chong surprised me on Sat with a Marina Mandarin hotel stay. It was to celebrate my birthday. I wondered when he was going to ask what I wanted for my birthday dinner. It was very sweet.

He had booked a suite, with a very big King bed and a separate living area, where the kids could sleep on the extra bed. I had always liked the suite because of the extra big space for the kids. And the coffee machine.

This time, there were also LOccitane toiletries. Which I like. The view we had this time was the bay view. Very nice.

That evening, we had dinner at the Aquamarine. It's their usual seafood buffet. But way better. I've always been impressed with their buffet. But this time the spread was superb. There was freshly schucked oysters, prawns, lobster, those giant Alaskan crab legs. Then the Jap section had sashimi. Salmon, tuna and even yellowtail.

There were so many crab dishes. Steamed, herbal, tomyum, curry... Even the fried rice had crabmeat in it. And fish maw soup. Then there were the desserts. Egg tarts, mango pudding, durian dessert, ice cream, cookies. Definitely something for everyone.

We ate for almost 2 hours. Stuffing ourselves. I was so full. But still had to eat that last bowl of ice cream. Which I hoped I at least worked off the next morning in the pool. With the kids. It was a cool morning, so the swimming pool was quite cold.

The only gripe I had was the checkout. It was a bit of a wait. And the doormen in uniform were chatting away and ignored us while we were searching for the valet. But I had a great time anyway.

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Weekly Scraps

2011-05-25T15:32:00.003+08:00

Night Lights - Using Webster Pages Yacht Club. The small envelope contains the key card to the room. I used various cutting from the 6x6 papers and journal cards. I wanted to show the night time scenes on the cruise. It's peaceful and quiet at night. Good for lots of quality family time.

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Open House

2011-05-23T15:56:00.001+08:00

It was the kids Open House in school the past weekend. Where us parents get to see their classrooms and the artwork they have done.

Bryan and his classmates did some Angry Birds for art. Even preschool kids know how to play Angry Birds.

Gabriel meanwhile made a bracelet using markers. And we got to see him with his teachers.

Very proud of my boys!

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Weekly Scraps

2011-05-20T15:32:00.001+08:00

&Up On Shore - I cut up one sheet of patterned paper from Websters Yacht Club. The large bingo card I kept from last year. I also used the journalling cards and doily. The pretty butterfly stamp is from Websters/Unity. I had quite a few gorgeous photos from the Phuket shore excursion. So I picked the best few to scrap. The islands there are picturesque. I highly recommend going on a boat ride to see some of the offshore islands when you are there.

This is a little late because my 2 year old was sick with a fever and bad cough. I wasn't feeling too well either. A little fluish. I rarely get really ill. Can't afford to. I still have 2 boys plus 1 big boy to look after.

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School Project

2011-05-17T19:58:00.001+08:00

Yes. I'm still doing school projects at 30 years old. It's for Gabriel. We were supposed to do some musical instruments for his class display.

I used a used milk tin. Removed the lid and put a piece of cardboard over. The circles were punched out and stuck over. And I used some letter stickers from my scrapbook stash.

The drum sticks were made from 2 unsharpened pencils and patterned paper. All the while, Gabriel was fast asleep...

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Bird Park Visit

2011-05-12T15:33:00.001+08:00

A couple of days ago, I went to the Bird Park with Gabriel and his class. It was supposed to be a class trip but involved the parents as well.

It was a good trip. Tiring as well. But Gabriel learned a lot. He saw the birds, feathers, nests and eggs. Learned about colours and the different senses.

He was fairly well behaved. Didn't whine and fuss as much. And he walked most of the way and didn't need me to carry. So we did have fun.

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Weekly Scraps

2011-05-10T15:26:00.001+08:00

More Websters Pages Yacht Club and photos from our Cruise. I love the boats and the little child flying the kites. These are photos from Phuket. I had some leftover blue lace and saved some vacation tags from before for this.

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Me

2011-05-07T17:40:00.001+08:00

It's the SG Elections Day today. It's been a very interesting few weeks. Although I don't have to vote, I still get to read a lot of interesting articles, write ups on Facebook.

Meanwhile I got the brand new hot iPhone 4 in White. It supersedes my old iPhone 3G. Which has been serving me for over 2 years. My extended AppleCare ran out a couple of months ago. Why didn't I wait for the new iPhone model? 'A bird in hand is worth more than 2 in the bush'. We don't even know if it's coming out.

So this is my first self portrait using the front facing camera. Just to try it out. I hardly have photos of just me.

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Weekly Scrapz

2011-05-05T15:47:00.001+08:00

The stuff I ordered online, Websters Yacht Club came. Now I can scrap my cruise photos. The collection is a gorgeous mix of blues, yellows and a touch of red. Very nautical and summery. I used the papers, 6x6 papers, stickers, flowers and design doily. I also used some old journaling cards from Websters old Seaside collection.

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Haircutz Instead

2011-05-01T22:00:00.000+08:00

Instead of the zoo. It was raining that morning so we had to abandon zoo plans. Bryan's contingency plan was to get a haircut. His fringe was getting too long. Gabriel went along for a trim too. He was a good boy, after he had a sweet to chew on.

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Weekly Scrap

2011-04-30T10:00:00.001+08:00

Momentz - Couldn't wait to use the new Websters' Pages stuff. This one is from the Ladies & Gents collection. By far, the best new release from Websters'. I used the die-cut, journal cards, fabric tickets, word stickers and 6x6 paper. Together with Prima's jewels and birds.

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Library Adventure

2011-04-25T16:07:00.001+08:00

There's a public library that opened near our place. It's not near enough to walk but definately near enough to visit often. So far, we've been there a couple of times since it opened to borrow books.

Bryan seems to find it awesome. He has been to his school library but it's much smaller. And the selection of books for children in this public library is a whole lot. I've taught him to to look for his favourite authors (COL for magic schoolbus books). And also what to look out for in choosing a book (Step 2 reading for preschool to grade 1). He also has his own library card which he is very proud of and he knows how to check out and return books. It's all automated now, no need to queue for the librarian.

We can drive there but the parking situation there is terrible, especially over the weekends. So we decided to take the MRT train there instead. It's only one stop away. But our house is a bit of a distance to the MRT station. So we drove to the station, took the train to the library and then back again. It was fun for Bryan since he doesn't take public transport often. But he did find it tiring. He was saying he's hungry and thirsty (it was a hot day).

But I thought it was good to let him take public transport once in a while. Just so he appreciates us driving him around more.

Weekly Scraps

2011-04-13T15:20:00.002+08:00

Festive - Chinese New Year Dressup. Using Prima papers, flowers, jewels and flocked rubons.

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Universal Studios

2011-04-09T21:44:00.004+08:00

It's full of fun, craziness and heartstopping rides. We only brought our older boy along so he could really enjoy himself. Gabriel is too young anyway and he needs to nap in the afternoon.

Universal Studios is like stepping into a whole different world. Of movies and cartoons. There are 7 different worlds to explore. With a few rides/experiences in each world. From Madagascar to Far Far Away, to Waterworld, to Jurassic Park and Ancient Egypt/the Mummy. For the younger kids, there is a carousel, a small rollercoaster and 4D experience. There is also a full scale water stunt adventure show. And a canopy ride and rafting ride in Jurassic Park with life sized dinosaurs. It was all really fun. And all new to Bryan. Who actually enjoyed himself a lot.

We didn't go to the seriously scary rides like the Mummy ride in the dark. And the double rollercoaster. I'm not sure I ever would. I think I'm getting too old for stuff like that.

The park itself is not too big. Everything can be done in 1 day. The express pass helps to speed things up and avoid hour long queues. Stuff there isn't all cheap but you can get decent souvenior Ts for $20 plus or so. It's also has less characters to take photos with unlike Disneyland. But we did meet Kungfu Panda.

We'd go back again. But maybe in a couple of years or so. When Gabriel is tall enough to sit on most rides. And brave enough too.

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Weekly Scraps

2011-04-07T16:00:00.001+08:00

LOOK! - This is one photo which all the babies are looking straight at the camera. Absolutely brilliant shot. I used Prima's Madeline collection, butterflies and flowers. Managed to find time to do it in the busy past week.

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Busy Weekend

2011-04-04T12:14:00.000+08:00

I was hoping to have a few photos of stuff we did over the weekend to post. It was a weekend with the kids.

On Sat, I spent the morning with Gabriel. Took him for a bit of shopping. He was very good. And in the afternoon, I took Bryan for his Chinese class, and bought him a new pajamas.

Sunday we went to church. And had lunch at Raffles City. The boys were quite well behaved. Bryan finished his fried rice all by himself. So in the afternoon, I brought Bryan to the nearby public library to borrow some books. It's his second time there and he was very excited about the trip.

But for some reason, I've been exhausted the whole weekend. Didn't pick up my camera. I wondered if it's because hubbie isn't around. He left for a photography trip in China. Well, he'll be back on Wednesday. It's been a while since hubbie travelled by himself for business or otherwise. So I do miss him a lot.

Kite-flying (trying to)

2011-03-30T15:46:00.003+08:00

Over the weekend, we went to Marina Barrage to fly our kite. We had done that before. But that day, the air was still. No one managed to get their kite up for longer than a few minutes. Which is unusual. It's usually very windy there. The boys ended up playing catch instead. Ah well, next time then.

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Lasik is Awesome

2011-03-27T15:36:00.004+08:00

Both my best friends had it done ages ago. And it's been on my wishlist for a while. It was last year, I got tired of having to pack both my glasses and contacts on the cruise trip. So I decided I'd better have it done sooner rather than later.

So just before the weekend, I took a couple of days off to finally get it done. The nurses and surgeon were really great throughout. They explained what they were going to do and what was going to be done. And they were very reassuring, especially when there's stuff happening right in front of your eyes (literally). The scary part lasted a very short while. And it's not painful at all. Not as much tearing and discomfort as I had expected.

Results are almost immediate too. Once the dryness in the eyes get better with eyedrops and all, I can see. By the next day, it's all clear. I still need to be careful with not rubbing or getting dirt in the eyes. And I need to lubricate with drops every couple of hours or so. But I can see! Clearly. Without glasses or contacts. It's amazing. I have almost 6/6 vision. I really should have done this a long time ago.

Weekly Scraps

2011-03-23T09:42:00.000+08:00

Gabriel's first day of school. Using Webster's Pages Wonderfall papers and stickers. I like all the cute icons in this collection, like the globe and the owl. Crochet and flowers from Prima. Gabriel's very first day of pre-nursery. I started him this young because Bryan is in the same school and he would adjust better with his big brother around. Plus he is less shy now and much more talkative.

Count Your Blessings - My 2 school going boys. At Ascension Kindergarten. They look very cute together in their matching school uniform. I added some stamps to fill in the background. I love the little birds and the keys too.

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Festive (or not so festive) Hotel

2011-03-20T15:55:00.003+08:00

It's our 7th wedding anniversary this weekend. And I had some RWS vouchers to use so we booked a room at the festive hotel. It didn't come cheap either. A simple room with a King size bed and sofa bed for the kids came up to just over SGD$400.

At the end of the stay, we decided that it wasn't worth it at all. It was a good thing that we had vouchers to offset the bill. I'd give it 5/10. For a 4 star hotel, which is just over a year old, right next to Universal Studios, the service and amenities were terrible.

We arrived by car at 2:30pm and the valet service was quick and efficient. The lobby was quite crowded, understandably since it was a weekend and a school holiday weekend at that. There was a queue to check in and we lined up. Once we got to the counter, the receptionist said that check in time was actually at 3pm and so we were early. But she proceded with the checkin, we signed the forms and produced our credit card.

Then she told us the room wasn't ready and we had to come back at 3pm. (half an hour later). I asked if she could get us the first available room since I have a toddler who was grumpy and needed a nap. She repeated that check in is at 3pm and she can't give us a room until then. So I asked how come the couple in front of us were given their room key since check in is supposed to be at 3pm. She looked at the screen and said that we only booked a deluxe room and our check in is at 3pm. (as if booking the cheaper room at the hotel disqualified us from an early check-in). I again I asked if she could give us the first available room. She dismissed me again asking to me to come back at 3pm. She did not at any point in the conversation picked up the phone to call housekeeping to find out if the room was already clean. Neither did she ask any of her colleagues to assist.

At this point, I decided that if we have to wait, we have to wait. So I asked her if I could wait at the side of her counter so once the room was ready I could get the key. She looked at me in disbelief and said no. I had to wait over there. There was quite a queue to check in now and I said ok. But in that case how would I know when I could collect the room keys? She then said that at 3pm I can join the queue again. I felt incredulous. We had already completed the check-in process and all we were waiting for were the rooms keys. And for that I had to join the ever lengthening queue? Most other hotels would have at this point asked us to have a seat and they will call us when the room key is ready. I felt like I was checking into a hostel, not a 4 star hotel. I told her that that was not acceptable. And I was going to wait at the side of the counter until the room was available.

She simply ignored me and proceeded to check in the next person. And she repeated the exact same line about check in at 3pm. Let me again say that the couple in front of me was already given their room key. So obviously some rooms were already made up and ready. But it's clear that she didn't even bother to find out whether there were rooms available or not.

Anyway, a few minutes later, another receptionist who must have overhead the conversation pulled me to one side and proceeded to process the room key. I thought maybe the first receptionist was just very hassled by the number of people in the queue which was why she was curt and dismissive. However, later in the lift on the way up to the room, the lady who was queueing behind me told us that this hotel is like that. And we had to insist on getting a room key immediately otherwise we'd end up waiting and waiting.

I was quite shocked to hear that. This is supposed to be a 4 star hotel at the Resorts World, next to Universal Studios and that's how they treat their guests? Should it matter that I was staying in a cheaper room and hence I had to queue up again for my room key? This is the first time ever that I've been treated like I don't matter to the hotel. And I've been around to lots of hotels. Comparatively, the Disneyland Hotel in HK (hotel next to the theme park) which costs just a little more, had much much better service.

That aside, when we got to the room, it didn't feel like a new hotel room and it certainly didn't look like it was worth $400 a night. There was no bathtub. The handle on the balcony door came off. The table had scratches and stains. The soap and shampoo didn't come in nice small souvenir size bottles. Instead it was a huge pump bottle. Clearly meant that the hotel was trying to save costs. There were no drinks in the minifridge. There were no snacks available either. And the cost for room service was atrocious. $12 for juice! And wi-fi was charged at $5 an hour! And the price of the room did not include breakfast.

To be fair it had a nice big balcony. Which is probably the best thing I can say about the room.

Another point, this is what is said in the website at Resorts World - "Children-friendly amenities are key highlights, such as the assortment of candies at the reception that will put a smile on any kid’s face. Welcome novelty packs and tailored bathrobes are also catered specially for the little ones." There was no such amenities or welcome packs or tailored bathrobes in the room. That's false advertising isn't it? I chose this hotel because I wanted my kids to enjoy themselves and feel at home there.

Now, in the room, there is a sofa bed which is supposed to open up in to a bed for my kids. And when we went out for dinner, we had expected a turn down service when we returned at nearly 9pm. There wasn't any. So I had to work out how the sofa opened up myself. Then put the sheets on. The worst part was the design of the room was terrible. When the sofa bed opened out, it blocked the cupboard. So once it was opened, there is no way of opening the cupboards. And guess where the extra pillow and blankets were? In the cupboard! What a waste of my time!

The next morning, we went swimming. The pool there is small compared to the Hard Rock Hotel next door. And I think the water wasn't very clean. In the water, I felt my legs itching and I came up with a few small bites on my legs. I swim a lot and I don't usually get rashes from pool water. I also noticed my younger boy scratching his legs. There were also areas of plants next to the pool. And on the ledge of the pool, we spotted a few millipedes? Or were they centipedes? Hmmm... I certainly didn't want to go swimming with any of these creatures. We got straight up out of the pool after that. The boys were rather fascinated with the bugs though.

Again to be fair, checking out was fast and there was no issue there. The hotel offered to hold our luggage for us if we wanted to walk around in Sentosa for the rest of the day. They do also provide free parking at Sentosa/Resorts World which has insanely expensive parking fees. And valet parking is a mere $3.

Well, not quite the way we wanted to spend our wedding anniversary. I can say safely that I'm not going back there, neither am I recommending it to anyone! Glad to be back home.

And yes, this review is going to be put up on Trip Advisor.

Weekly Scrap

2011-03-17T15:12:00.003+08:00

Nature - Prima's Botanical papers are great for these photos of my kids with their grandfather in Butterfly Park in KL. My dad is a great nature lover so since young I've appreciated nature. I hope my children grow up to enjoy all of God's creation too. From this collection from Prima, I especially love the flocked rub ons and crystals. This is also the first photos from 2011!

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Happy 500!

2011-03-15T03:55:00.000+08:00

I have just realised that I've hit 500 posts on my blog. That's quite an accomplishment because I don't blog everyday. Sometimes only a couple of times a week. But this blog is 5 years old. I didn't realise it would go as long. Going back to 2007 and one of my early posts, I did put in a To Do list. So lets see where I am with it...

~~1. Have another baby~~ Well, I did. His name is Gabriel and he's 2 years old.

~~2. Get that masters degree~~ Hm... not quite but I did get my Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine.
3. Own a Volvo C70 in red. Not when the COE is that high.
~~4. Renovate Bryan's room~~ We got him a new bed, and decorated the walls with removable stickers.
~~5. Finish studying the Bible~~ It's sort of an ongoing process...
~~6. Learn scuba diving~~ Scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef. That's not going to be for a while. At least until the boys are older.
7. Learn to ride a horse. Nope, no time for that either.
~~8. Be a volunteer for Medicine Sans Frontiers Learn Japanese.~~ New goal when the kids are older. Maybe sign up as a volunteer for the Red Cross. To help with disaster relief. It's always been a goal of mine.
9. Visit ~~Italy, Japan, France,~~ Switzerland, Africa, New York, Egypt, Israel, China, India, New Zealand, Maldives, Hawaii. Well, I'm no where near completing this. Not when half of the countries listed are probably on the travel advisory list.
10. Finish a 5km run. I can barely find time to do 1km. But I should, make use of the track nearby.
~~11. Take up dance classes~~ I managed to do some Pilates between my boys
~~12. Perm my hair~~
~~13. Join the worship team in church~~ Did that when I was younger
~~14. Have Lasix done so I don't have to wear glasses or contacts~~ It's scheduled for the end of the month.
15. Retire in 30 years to look after my grandchildren. That remains to be seen. I do still want to keep practising though.

Looking back, 10 out of 15 isn't bad. It's been a fabulous 5 years. Some ups and some downs. But mostly ups. My family's been important to me. And a lot of stuff I haven't thought about doing like travelling, diving etc because of the boys. But I'm actually very ok with it. I'm happy to see my boys grow up first. Then we can do all that fun stuff together.

A Different Cut

2011-03-14T15:16:00.001+08:00

It's the start of the March school holidays and time for the boys to get a haircut.

Bryan had a rather different cut from usual because he had decided to give his fringe a cut himself and took off one side. That was a couple of weeks ago. So in trying to salvage his hair, the hairdresser gave him this style. She didn't blink at all when we mentioned that he cut his hair himself. And she didn't hesitate to describe the cut she would do. Looks like Bryan isn't the only one who plays with the scissors.

Weekly Scraps

2011-03-11T16:34:00.001+08:00

Cruise - using October Afternoon Seaside papers and stickers. The "ink stains" are actually Hambly's rub-on. I might try some of the misters next time to see if I can get a similar effect.

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Pai Shou

2011-03-07T11:13:00.002+08:00

I brought Gabriel to a birthday party over the weekend. He had fun. Although he was a little shy at first.

I took a few photos there. But I liked how this one turned out. The camera caught him at the right time. He's clapping along to the birthday song and enjoying every moment.

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The Best Things Come in Threes

2011-03-03T16:23:00.015+08:00

Three is a nice number. Everyone can count to three. Even my 2 year old. In Chinese.

Good things also come in Threes...
I have 3 boys to look after. (Including my darling hubbie.)
My best friends and I make 3.
My siblings and I make 3.
We have 3 types of pets. A dog, a rabbit and fish.

Just thought I'd slip a little note in on 3/3.

My Swimming Adventure

2011-02-28T14:58:00.008+08:00

Brought the kids swimming this weekend. Hubbie was busy so it was just me. And the 2 boys. It was went well at first. I put the bags and stuff at the chairs near the edge of the pool so I could keep an eye. Then I changed Gabriel into his suit and put sunscreen on. Bryan was all done already by himself and he stayed nearby all the time.

We spent sometime in the big pool and the small pool with the slide. Bryan made a new friend while sliding down the slide over and over again. They had quite a bit of fun together. Bryan bumped his head while sliding down once but he said he was ok. Gabriel went a few times but preferred to splash about the shallow pool.

A while later, I decided that it was time to go up. Then Bryan took off his goggles and discovered he had a small cut at the edge of his eye. It was still oozing a bit so I had to sit him down and clean it up. We all went off to the children's room to bathe and change. Bryan showered on his own and I showered Gabriel. Bryan was especially helpful with the towels. He even offered to look for a bin to throw Gabriel's swim diaper in.

Then I realized I hit a bit of a snag. I could shower the kids and get them dried and dressed. But then, I couldn't go shower myself. I can't leave the kids alone. Neither can I bring them into the female changing room. Hmm.... so in the end, I just dried myself, threw on a t-shirt and pants over my swimsuit.

Bryan wanted his french fries too. So got him a plate to share with Gabriel. He had a good time. Even though he had that cut and all. He fell asleep in the car on the way home.

When he finally woke up, I cleaned his cut properly, put some antiseptic eye cream on and put a small steri-strip across the wound to hold it close. He looked in the mirror and said that he looked like Anakin Skywalker. And he was very pleased with himself.

It was quite a morning for me. I had my hands full with my kids. But still managed to have fun and relax in the pool. I felt quite empowered to do things on my own.

Christmas Scraps

2011-02-22T16:37:00.026+08:00

FINALLY I get down to my Christmas scraps 2 months late. Using all of Websters Pages Waiting for Santa collection. The entire line is simply gorgeous! With all the rich reds, and greens. But there's light blue and white to tone it down as well. I matched it with Prima's embellishments, flowers, jewels and butterflies.

For this LOVE layout - I also cut out a tree from Webster's previous Christmas line. The poinsetta flowers are from Prima. I also used Webster's stickers, journalling cards and some vellum.

This FUN one is all about Gabriel's favourite Christmas present - his CAR! He loves cars so now he gets to sit in one and drive it. Bryan's the mechanic.

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First Zoo trip of the year

2011-02-20T16:16:00.000+08:00

We usually try to make a trip to the zoo every month but it's been a wet year so far. It's not easy finding a weekend that's not raining. So it's only this weekend that we finally managed to go.

Bryan wanted to see the kangaroos. So we walked there. We were lucky that one decided to sit near a fence and endure some petting from him.

There was a new animal show at the Kidz World so we headed there to watch. It was more like a dog and cat show. But the boys loved it. It was nice to see cats and rats doing their thing too. I managed to catch the fun parts on video. And the boys petted a couple of big dogs after.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Weekly Scrap

2011-02-15T16:12:00.000+08:00

2 - Using up the last of the Garden Gala from Websters. For my two boys. At the end of 2010. They have grown up so much in the past year. And now that Gabriel can talk more, Bryan plays with him a lot more. They keep each other company, which is great.

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Valentines Love

2011-02-14T17:21:00.002+08:00

From my darling hubbie on Valentines. He sent it to my office too! He's so sweet. I love him to bits!

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Happy Valentines!

2011-02-14T16:32:00.001+08:00

Love always...

A special layout using Prima's Jack and Jill. I also used Prima's jewels and flowers. We've been married 8 years! And counting.

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Weekly Scrap

2011-02-11T15:05:00.000+08:00

Cousins - Using Webster's Pages Garden Gala. Although the kids see their cousins almost every week, we don't have very many photos of them together. So these photos are very special.

-- Posted From My iPhone

Enjoying Nature

2011-02-08T15:03:00.002+08:00

When we were in KL, my dad took us to a waterfall to play in it. It was a lot of fun for the kids. They've only ever swam in swimming pools. Gabriel loved it so much he was rather upset when we had to leave. And it didn't matter that the water was cold, it was fresh and flowing!

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Happy Year of the Rabbit

2011-02-06T21:49:00.002+08:00

Chinese New Year is a very traditional time for the family. It also means meeting up with family. That means the extended family, great grand parents, grand aunts, cousins. It's nice to catch up even if it's just once a year.

The kids get to meet all their relatives. I think it's great. I hope they know how important family is. And I hope they keep all the New Year traditions in the years to come.

-- Posted From My iPhone

Weekly Scrap

2011-02-01T15:26:00.001+08:00

You - Wild Thing: Using Webster's Wonderfall line. I love the colour combination and the design. Coordinates with a lot of photos and even other embellishments. The boys are enjoying themselves on Mt Faber.

Growing Up

2011-01-30T14:55:00.003+08:00

Gabriel's adjusting nicely to his pre-nursery class. The both of them being in the same school does help a lot. It means a lot to Gabriel to know that his brother is around. He needed that bit more support to wake up in the morning, put on his uniform, wear his shoes and go to class. It definately helped that his bigger brother also did the same thing. He likes his teacher, Miss Ong. And would go to her when he gets to class.

Everyone at home has also noticed that he's talking more and interacting more. I think being in school has helped him a lot. He's still a bit shy but he is not as clingy as he was before.

Meanwhile, Bryan, the older brother is doing very well. The kindergarten has started giving him homework on weekends and spelling. They are slowly transitioning the students to primary one. Which is a good thing. It will be quite a big adjustment for Bryan in the 'big boys school'. But he should be fine.

Growing up, reaching more milestones. Sigh. As a mommy, I am both very proud of my boys. And yet a little sad that they are growing up so fast. I hope they never outgrow hugs and kisses from me.

New Year, New Layout

2011-01-25T15:38:00.022+08:00

I've been so busy this month, I've hardly anytime to do any scrapping at all. With hubbie in hospital for his operation. And the kids starting school. Even at work, it's been busy. Everyone's catching the New Year Bug. So this is the first layout of the year. Using Webster's Pages Wonderfall collection and Prima's flowers/jewels/butterfly. I'm so behind, these photos were from October 2010. We were in the old cable car cabins. Brings me back to years ago, on my first cable car ride with my family. Now I'm bringing my boys for a cable car ride.

Playing Dressup

2011-01-23T23:37:00.001+08:00

@ Vopak's Dinner & Dance held at the Sentosa Resorts World Compass Ballroom. Guess who we were! And we won 'Best Dressed Couple'. It was a lot of fun. (Photo taken by company photographer)