Adventures of Cephas

Graduation Concert

2011-11-21T19:30:00.000-08:00

It was held at CDANS in Bukit Batok

Where we could order photos of the events held by the school & pre-order the concert DVD

Can you see me smiling with pride?

Oh yes! I made it!

Leading the class in this dance

Colourful costumes :)

That's the entire K2 (pm) class

A Hip Hop dance. Don't we just look cool?

Combined item with the K2 (am) class

Everyone clapped & cheered us on!

I was co-emcee with Ashlyn & Anthea for the concert's closing speech

With proud mummy

With doubly proud daddy

With my happy teachers

With Auntie Elsie who looked after me really well when I was in Nursery :)

Korea (3-9 Nov)

2011-11-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

Mummy writes: We went to Korea for our year-end holiday this year. After de-conflicting all 3 of our schedules, 3-9 Nov was the most suitable period for us to make this trip.

Day 1 - We flew out on an afternoon flight on SQ 608 & arrived in Seoul at 2130 hrs. There, we were greeted by the Korean guide & ferried to a nearby hotel, Best Western Incheon Airport. We had a quick dinner of cup noodles bought from the hotel's mini-mart & rested for the night as the morning call next day was at 0630 hrs (0530 hrs Singapore time).

Day 2 - After breakfast, we went on our way to Everland Theme Park. It was crowded when we arrived as we saw bus loads of students there (guess it was vacation time for them too). We visited the Safari Zoo which Cephas enjoyed very much, had a quick lunch, did some speed shopping and left for MBC Dramia - filming site of Dong Yi. After a quick tour of the place, we were treated to a steamboat dinner :) We arrived at our hotel for the night after a 2-hour drive!

Day 3 - It was a lovely & cold morning as we made our way to Mt Sorak. It was misty as we headed up to the peak on the cable car and the walk up for enjoyable. We spent some time up there, enjoying the autumn weather before going back down for a seafood steamboat lunch. After that, we went for ATV ride and cheese making. We ended the evening with a Gala dinner at the Oak Valley Country Club.

Day 4 - It was raining heavily in the morning while we were having breakfast and the rain continued to pour as we were heading into Seoul. We met with an accident when the tour bus hit a car and we were delayed for 1.5 hours as the bus could not move because the steering wheel was jammed. We had to be towed to the road shoulder to allow the mechanic to fix it. We changed bus when we arrived near Cheong Wa Dae. We visited The National Folk Museum & Gyeongbokgung Palace, had ginseng chicken lunch, toured the Seaweed Gallery (bought 6 packs of 5 packets of XXL sized seaweed) before having fun wearing the Hanbok! We spent the afternoon shopping at Dongdaemun - Mayliore & Doota shopping malls. Dinner was BBQ meat & tried Soju for the first time :) After dinner, we were driven to our hotel for the next 2 nights - Ramada Incheon.

Day 5 - We started the day with a visit to the Korean Ginseng Showroom (No photo-taking of the place. Anyway, we didn't buy anything as we felt it was too expensive but we bought food stuff from the supermarket at the showroom). After that, we were brought to their local skincare store (No photo-taking again). I bought enough to be given a small suitcase :) We then visited the Namsangol Hanok Village & played their traditional game. After that, it was shopping time at Myeongdong! Can shop till you drop there for skincare/cosmetic products! Dinner was bibimbap.

Day 6 - The last day of our vacation. We had a full day of shopping before our midnight homebound flight. We had a late breakfast (8am) and checked out of our room at 11am. We went to Sinchon for more shopping at about lunch time. We filled our tummies with the local street food & shopped at the same time. Our loot was 3 pairs of shoes :) In the evening, we were bought to their local provision shop. Didn't buy much here as we had bought at the Korean ginseng mini-mart the day before. We had dinner there before we were sent to the airport.

At the airport, we packed what we had bought earlier into my suitcase before checking in our luggage & box of goodies. After bidding our Korean tour guide, photographer & Korea goodbye, we went in to the departure hall to wait for our 'Home Sweet Home' flight. We watched the shows on board while Cephas fell asleep the minute we settled down in our seats on the plane.

Day 7 - We arrived in Singapore at 5am. We bathed & went to sleep after we arrived home at about 6.45am. We only unpacked our bags after we woke up and had our lunch! Till the next shopping vacation!

Kindergarten Pre-graduation Ceremony Photos

2011-11-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

Group photo & individual photo taken in September

Dad, mum & many others absolutely loved this one!

Finally graduating after 3 years of pre-school education :)

This cert is from my computer classes with the school

Celebrated my BD in School

2011-11-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

Celebrating my birthday with my friends :)

My teachers, Ms Chia & Guo lai shi

The afternoon session's graduating class!

Presents from the school and Ms Chia

Present from Guo lao shi

What's In My Goodie Bags?packed

2011-11-14T22:05:00.000-08:00

Stickers, mechanical pencils, Korean seaweed

Bubble bottles, marshmallows, Hershey kisses & toys

Checking on what's to go into the bags

Doing a good job :)

All packed & ready to go for the celebrations in school!

Mummy writes: Cephas requested to have his 6th birthday celebrations in school this year and we thought:"Why not?" You see, he's a December baby and he attends a Kindergarten, not a child-care centre. As such, he has not celebrated his birthdays in school since nursery class with his pals. While he's been receiving his classmates' goodie bags & eating their cakes, he's not been able to reciprocate with his own party. After we agreed to have his party in school on 18 Nov (2 weeks ahead of his actual birthday), he's been collecting brochures from the various cake shops and deciding on the cake he wants. It has changed from Transformers (Bumble Bee or Optimus Prime) to Cars (McQueen) to Power Rangers to Batman. Finally, he chose a Superman cake! We'll see how the cake looks like in the next post.

Chinese Enrichment Graduating Concert

2011-11-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

I joined Apple Pie Language K2 class this year

My teacher, Ms Swee :)

Getting ready for the Mini-talent Showcase

Following the girls

Relaxing with dad & mum

Certificate of completion + a gift from the teachers

With the other teacher, Ms Zhen

Hong Kong & Macau (25-29 March)

2011-04-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

Cold & windy at The Peak

Mummy writes: Yes, We headed out to Hong Kong again but with a different itinerary (except for Disneyland) this time round. We even ventured out to Macau as a day trip:) The weather was much cooler (10-14 deg cel) as it was spring time. It was enjoyable that we could just walk, walk & walk without complaining about the heat, sweat, tiredness & sunlight in our faces (in that order).

We stayed at The Park Hotel TST. For whatever reason (as we didn't ask), we were upgraded to a Premier room - it was spacious, very cosy & luxurious. The hotel's entrance is not as grand as the photo we saw on the website but the interior was a big surprise as it was newly renovated & the location was a 7-minute stroll to TST station :)

This round, the main highlights were Central (shopping & sightseeing), The Peak, Disneyland & Macau. According to dad & mum, the Peak has become too touristy & everything is overpriced up there. They took me on the tram ride for the experience & to enjoy the lovely view of HK from there. It was grrrrr cold, windy & misty up there. If not for the lights from the buildings in the night, we would not have been able to see much except outlines! It was sunny but cold the day we went Disneyland. There was only one street parade this time round (There were 2 parades - day & night when we were there in 2009). Nothing beats the Lion King show. It's my all time favourite!

By the time we were to head to Macau, we were exhausted (from the walking) & so slept in till quite late that morning before heading to China Ferry Terminal to purchase the ferry tickets. We reached Macau at 2pm, headed to the Venetian to rave about the sky-like ceiling. We totally agree that it you look up & drown out the chitter chatter around you, you would feel like you are indeed floating up in the real sky. The place itself is a shoppers paradise but we resisted (awwww) as we were on a tight schedule. Next we took a cab to Ruins of St Paul's. What a beautiful & serene place! Senado Square was a madhouse of shopkeepers shouting out to you to try their food samples and then urshering you into their shops to buy what you've just sampled. We went to Heong Kei at the bottom of the cobbled street Square & picked out a few items to buy for family & friends. After there, we took a two-hour walk back to the ferry terminal. Why? The weather was excellent for a long walk and how else to enjoy Macau for its old but interesting architecture, beckoning-you-to peep inside attractive looking casinos & little nooks & corners?

When we asked Cephas if he had enjoyed the holiday, his reply was:"Can we go back again?" The trip's photos are here http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1873500789865.107044.1011528497&l=f739a18c7e

Mickey Mouse

2011-03-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

Mummy writes: When the day of our holiday to HK drew near, the boy sat down one night & drew these. When queried, he said:" You can't tell?! It's Mickey Mouse!" Mickey was drawn in exactly the same pattern 3x but in 3 different colours - red, blue & yellow. He went on to draw 3 more on 3 separate sheets for his class teacher. If that's Mickey Mouse, I wonder how the other Disney characters look like! :)

CNY 2011

2011-02-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

Gong xi fa cai to Daddy...got my golden ang pow :)

Going through the same ritual with mummy :)

With gong gong & mama at their house

With my uncles (mum's cousins) before we head out to visit the others

My colourful CNY cone hat :)

Passport Photos

2011-01-26T21:00:00.000-08:00

Mummy writes:The recent photo for his passport renewal :) He's at the age where he's self-conscious in front of the camera. This was taken at the photo studio.

Love this cute shot of him at 3 years old. Took this at home placing him aginst the wall in the hall as we thought we had to have an updated photo of him in his passport. It didn't happen though.

His very 1st passport photo. Not a bad blur look for a 9th month old baby :P

It Still Happens

2011-01-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

Mummy Writes: I thought this would not happen since he's all grown up now. At 5 years old, he can still fall asleep anywhere when he's tired. I hope this would not happen when he goes to Primary 1 next year :P We would need to explain to the teachers how Cephas can fall asleep anywhere & in any position.

Spending Holiday Time with Isaiah II

2010-12-27T19:00:00.000-08:00

We went over to Isaiah's place to play play & play

Lovely! Had the kids pool all to ourselves!

Going to dip my head in...here I go!

That's PING...Isaiah's nice, warm, fluffy & friendly dog :) Probably gonna get myself one when I have my own place :)

We both refused to part company and so continued to play until both mums said it was really time to say goodbye! Till the next school holiday then!

Prawning

2010-12-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

It was a lazy afternoon & I requested that we went fishing. Daddy suggested we were prawning instead so we headed to Farmart. It costs us $50 for both rods for an hour's work :)

Learning how to hold the rod, place it into the pond & wait for the prawn to bite the bait. It's all about patience...

& then impatience...checking to see it the prawns are biting the bait...

Oh yeah...being patient does pay off afterall. Caught my little prawn!

I Am Five

2010-12-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to me! I turn 5 years old today :) We started the day with an appointment with my PD at NUH. Well, I started out with this study when I was born - introducing probiotics to babies right at the beginning instead of at 6 months old to see if it helps prevent babies from developing allergies. Only babies whose parents have allergies were approached for the study. I was not happy when they put the fluids on my arm to test for any allergies. I had to wait for 20 long minutes before I could wipe the fluids off and scratch...scratch ...scratch! :(

Here, we are on our way to my Birthday treat - Walking with Dinosaurs! I waited for this exciting day for almost a month & couldn't contain my excitement as we made our way to Indoor Stadium. I am finally on my way to see the dinosaurs in their live form in size, colour & mannerisms - something you do not get from the tv programms or books! I didn't expect it to be so crowded but we had good seats with unblocked view of the stage! :)

The backdrop at the stage - dinosaurs' teeth made me nervous!

The show was FANTASTIC - interesting commentary, beautiful dinosaurs, colourful props! What a lovely birthday gift!

My souvenir - the tickets, as the gift counters were really packed with people & we just didn't want to squeeze & battle with them for the over-priced souvenirs (Mum's opinion :P).

Spending Holiday Time With Isaiah

2010-11-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

The school holidays have begun & so has my fun time! Mum & I caught "Pinocchio - The Musical" with Aunty Corinna & Isaiah at the SRT. We sat through it quietly enjoying the heartwarming storyline with an Asian twist :)

Having a light snack during the 15 minute interval. Hearing all the lovely songs just made my hungry :)

Playing kingfu while waiting for our delicious meal at a Japanese restaurant at UE Square...ha hiak!

This is the first time Mum & aunty Corinna queued up for us boys to watch a show at the mall! Overheard them saying it would be their last too! We were at United Square to catch Christmas with Barney & Friends.

I am a lion...hear me roar!

2010-11-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

My year-end concert just ended & my fan is taking a photo with me :)

This fan is hugging me so tightly!

Lion in slippers...hear me roar!

My cute costume

The other jungle animal friends of mine :)

I was the co-emcee with my good friend, Amar, for the class dance during my school's year-end concert. We practiced the speech & dance twice a week in school. The entire class worked hard & we did really well on the day itself! Enjoy the grooving from the jungle animals!

2nd Visit To Universal Studios Singapore

2010-10-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

It was hot hot hot...I gave in & wore my shades!

Blocked out the sun...oh yes!

A nice photo before we head in with the big crowd!

It was the family's mini Family Day...cool :)

Uncle Andy works at the USS. He organised this mini family day for the 10 of us with tickets at a discounted rate - lovely! The fact that we all could make it on a Saturday despite our own commitments made the trip even lovelier. The timing was just right too as Uncle Adrian just flew back from Dubai :) We spent an entire day (1000hrs-2030hrs) having loads of fun, laughter & scary rides!

More photos of the trip here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=86217&id=1011528497

A Gift From His Teachers

2010-09-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

Mrs Ong & Guo lao shi put together a little album for each child as a present to them for Children's Day 2010 :)

Artwork made of raisins, biscuits, M&Ms chocs & honey stars!

Playing with Amal, his best friend

Examining the insects with Ashlyn

Playing hopscotch with Keisha & learning their numbers at the same time

A Beautiful Sunset

2010-09-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Mummy writes:

The sun was setting while we were flying. Cephas took the camera from me & was snapping away. I didn't realise what he was snapping until I checked the camera when we arrived home. I love both shots & I must admit, they were well taken by a 5 year old child. The shots depict a serene, soothing & calming atmostphere. Just plain beautiful ")

The Eagle Soared High

2010-09-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Daddy got it off the ground & into the sky :)

Keeping it within my sight as there were many other kites in the
sky

I am getting ready to take over the flying :)

Yes...it was nice feeling the tugging of the kite :)

Concentrating hard on my important job!

Preparing The Eagle For Its Maiden Flight

2010-09-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Daddy bought this kite & we're bringing it to the park to fly :)

It looks magnificent!

Sun's in my face & there's no wind at this park! How how how?

Daddy is preparing the kite while I am doing the wind chant!

We're gonna change the venue to fly the bird...a bigger field near the highway!

Conversations

2010-08-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Mum called today & the conversation went like this-
Mum:"Hi Cephas, what are you doing?"
Me:"I am eating...and I am too full to talk to you..."
Mum:"..."

During a study session one afternoon-
Me:"Pay attention, open my eyes big big & watch what I am doing."
Mum:"Does Mrs Ong say that to you in class?:
Me:"No mummy, you told me that last time."
(Mum says: Well, he is indeed paying attention to what I am saying)

While doing some matching on a worksheet-
Me:"I was born to do this."
Mum:"Why do you say this?"
Me:"Because I was really born to do this."
Mum:"..." indeed

Putting me to a test of loyalty-
Dad:"Cephas, who is fiercer?"
Me:"Both of you are fierce."
Dad:"You can only choose one."
Me:"I can't. If I chooses daddy, mummy would be sad. If I choose mummy, daddy would be sad. So, both of you are fierce."
(Mum says: Learning diplomacy at a young age helps :P)

On keeping toys-
Mum:"How are you going to keep your toys properly?"
Me:"I think I would buy some horse-shoe magnets."
Mum:"How would that help you?"
Me:"I'll take them out when it's time to keep my toys. The magnets would just pull the toys & then I'll keep them in the boxes."

Day Trip

2010-06-26T23:00:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's long day spent at USS, we got up early today & headed for a day trip to Malacca! It's like a last burst of enjoyment before the school term start on Monday. Fortunately, we had better weather than yesterday! The forecast revealed that the weather in Malacca would be thunderstorm. The storm was not in sight...whew! Check out the photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=63920&id=1011528497&l=e05e21ac6e

Universal Studios Singapore

2010-06-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

This morning, we finally headed down to the most talked about, newest playgound in Singapore! It started out pouring cats & dogs & it took us almost 1.5 hours just to arrive safely at the entrance as we had to battle the rain, the trafffic jams & the crowd! We could not give it a miss as it was Mum's office Family Day! The rain did stop & we had loads of fun. Check out the fun we had at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=63917&id=1011528497&l=4935dbd323

Road Trip (7-9 May)

2010-05-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

Daddy was keen on a driving trip & decided that Genting Highlands would be an ideal place for me. We survived the 6-hour long drive with little disruptions, toilet breaks, tea-breaks, etc. I was entertained with tidbits, Little Einstein & Star Wars shows as dad & mum took turns at the wheels. The trip was a good family bonding time & I enjoyed the time spent with dad & mum as well as at the theme parks. The weather was nice & cool although I think it would be cooler if we went towards the end of the year. Well, the year end trip would be another story! Enjoy the photos :)

Having Fun

2010-04-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

Trying to pick out the correct word...

Confirming it with mum...

Oh yeah...got it right :)

On my way to Sports School?

Mum bought me some fun sticker books lately. I would look at the pictures and the words and find the corresponding stickers. I am improving in finding the words as I go along. The pictures are easy to find because they are easily recognisable but not the words. I am also learning how to spell those words as I look for them :)
Last week, I came back from school with a games certificate. It was a surprise and everyone was proud of me :) I played well during my games session in class and received the 'Super Netball Player' certificate :) I even typed out my own name on the computer before my teacher printed it out for me.

First Note

2010-03-31T23:00:00.000-07:00

Mummy writes: We check Cephas' communications book from school on a daily basis. Today, I was surprised to find that he wrote an entire note on his own! Yes, add in proud and impressed too! He was shy & smiled sheepishly when hubby & I praised him about being able to follow his teacher's instructions and writing his own note :)

Wow!

2010-03-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Mummy writes: I wrote some words on the whiteboard while Cephas was playing in his room. Then I walked out to the kitchen to do something. When I returned, I was surprised to see that Cephas had duplicated the words side by side (almost) with mine with his own handwriting. Do you see a camel from his drawing? Looks like one to me - I was impressed!

I praised him & he was so proud of his own achievement. We then proceeded to learn what the words were & he picked them up pretty quickly :) (Enjoy the video)

CNY 2010

2010-02-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Guess what I am doing? Saying Grace earnestly for my CNY goodies :)

The traditional family portrait

Getting my 'reward' from Mum!

My turn with daddy!

Bright & red...nice? Getting ready or the CNY party in school :)

Doing the Disco Dance in my PJs

2010-02-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

Mummy writes: We do not know where this boy learnt the word 'Disco' and dancing moves like John Travolta in the movie 'Saturday Night Fever'. It was hilarious to watch him dance like this. Fortunately, we managed to catch it on video. Enjoy it! We definitely did!

Bollywood Veggies

2010-01-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

I Am Four

2009-12-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Grinning away as I am heading to the snow chamber to play!

All dressed up & ready to slide down the slope!

We kind of crash landed into one another :P But it was fun!

My 'loot' for this year :)

Ta-da, all my favourite toys!

I am officially 4 years old today! Dad & Mum brought me to Snow City - I had a great time throwing the 'crushed ice' at them, rolling around in the cold, sliding down the slope on the rubber tube & making snow angels. I received presents as early as a week ago and was told that I could only open the presents on my actual day :) I kept my promise and was well rewarded with all my favourite toys at the end of the day!

Nursery Class Conquered :)

2009-11-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

This is the photo of my Nursery Class (pm). I will be seeing my classmates again when I go to K1 in 2010. My English teacher is Teacher Selvi who has taught me a lot & has encouraged me in many ways. Auntie Elsie is the assistant teacher who has taken care of me very well. She is always calling me "Darling" :P As for my Chinese teacher, Fang lao shi, she is constantly egging me me on to speak & write better. See you all in 2010!

The 'verdict' on my performance for the 2nd half of 2009. Teacher Selvi told dad and mum that I have improved in my writing, reading & learning! To cut the long story short, I''ve been hardworking :)

I have also improved in this area. However Fang lao shi says I can still do better. Well, I've got 6 weeks to brush up on my mandarin & surprise her when I see her next year :)

Daddy/Mummy writes:

I am glad you have had a good year in school. It started out tough with major changes - your first time away from home even for that short 3 hours, taking the school bus, having to go through a routine, to feed yourself, learning your alphabet, numbers, words & mandarin. However, you have persevered and gained a lot this one year. I remember you refused to urinate in school the first week as you were shy and did not want to eat your snacks as you felt awkward feeding yourself. However, you picked up pace on the 2nd week and soon, you were having lots of fun and was sharing the daily happenings in school. You have come a long way - 4 school terms! It's the year end school holidays so enjoy your much deserved break, sweetie! :)

Refurbished My Room

2009-11-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

New layout of my bedroom

Getting excited with the new bed

Not too thrilled about having to take a photo when I just want to jump on the bed!

Dad & mum decided to get me a super single bed as I was outgrowing my toddler bed. We went in search of that perfect bed for several weeks before we decided on the ideal one. As my wardrobe was beginning to overcrowd with clothes, they also bought me a new wardrobe - loads of space in there for toys as well! What did we do with the previous wardrobe? Well, we managed to put in the open book shelves & now we have a mini enclosed library in there. Everything's neat &I have been quite disciplined in sleeping on my own in my bedroom :)

Happy Days

2009-11-01T23:00:00.000-08:00

Testing if the water was cold or not :)

I love you :)

Sand play is hard work :P

Enjoying it though :)

My friend - Mr Tortise :)

We went Bintan - Indra Maya Villas, for our first very very short break! It was a hit & run 1 night stay with friends. I did make full use of that short stay - pool, beach, pool before we headed home. (Got to wait for the complete set of photos to share about the trip).

Hong Kong (23-27 Sep)

2009-09-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

We went to HK for a short holiday! Dad has his work meeting there and so planned for us to go HK a week early to enjoy ourselves before he stayed on for his work while mum & I flew home. I skipped school, mum skipped school & work & dad didn't skip much :P Best of the trip, we met up with friends who also flew in to meet up with us!

Day 1 - We took the 10.10am (CX) flight. The goodie bag for kids was great. It contained products from the cartoon - Ratatouille. There were crayons, stickers, matching card game, etc. I entertained myself with those for a while before the in-flight entertainment came on & I watched cartoons until an hour before we landed. After I had my kid's meal, I snoozed as mum told me to rest as I would be having loads of fun when we land. We landed at 2pm and took a while to clear the customs as there was a super long queue. We then took the Airport Express to Kowloon Station before boarding the K2 shuttle to our hotel. By then time, we checked in at Royal Pacific, it was 4pm! I was glad I took that nap cos I was ready to hit the streets of Tsim Tsa Tsui - for food & shopping! We turned in early though cos we were heading out to Disneyland the next day.

Day 2 - Rise & shine, I was up early! We went for breakfast before taking the MTR (TST-Lai King-Sunny Bay-Disneyland) to where else - Disneyland! The ride was short and we reached there at 10.15am to meet Uncle CK, Aunty Angie, Lecia & Kyren. We bought our tickets & went in when the gates opened at 10.30am! First, we took the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad train to Fantasy Land! There, we rode on Dumbo the Flying Elephant, joined Pooh for a journey though the Hundred Acre Wood, Cinderella Carousel, Mad Hatter Tea Cups followed by watching "The Golden Mickeys" at the Storybook Theater, a cruise at "It's a Small World". We shopped at the Storybook Shoppe before lunching at the Royal Banquet Hall, followed by ice-cream before moving on to Tomorrowland! We helped Buzz save the universe from the evil Emperor Zurg at the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters interactive adventure. We then got ourselves 'pavement seats' along Main Street USA to watch the colourful, exciting day parade! The atmosphere was great! Loved it! After the parade ended, we went to Adventureland where we watched the colourful pageant of music & dance of "Festival of the Lion King" followed by crossing the river to Tarzan's Treehouse where we climbed all the way up. After all that climbing, we had our dinner at the Tahitian Terrace. That was a relaxing breather before we sped off to catch the night parade - Halloween Theme & the fireworks at the Sleeping Beauty Castle. It was a fantastically enjoyable day :)

Day 3 - We went to Ocean Park this morning! Took the MTR to Admiralty Station before boarding the Citybus 629 there. It was another bright, warm & sunny day! To escape the heat, we went on the cable car that brought us to The Summit to watch the show at the Ocean Theatre. I expected more from the show. Guess the dolphins were not up for any shows that morning - maybe they weren't feeling well. We went to the Atoll Reef where I saw humongous fish, sharks, stingrays, turtles, etc! I was in awe with the entire place & we stayed there for a long long time as there were 3 levels to explore :) Next in line was the Ocean Park tower where we took a vertical ride up with the spectacular view of the waters around us. We came down too soon and went to meet the sea lions at the Pacific Pier. It was cooler here and we rested for a while before heading to the Bayview Restaurant for a well deserved lunch :) After lunch, we took the cable car down to The Waterfront to visit the Panda Village, Gator Mash & Goldfish Treasures. Finally met "xiao xiong" for a shot as well as other Ocean Park characters at the Whiskers Theatre! I was rewarded with an hour's play at the Whisker's Habour Playground before we headed back to our hotel to meet friends for dinner! It was another lovely day spent in HK!

Day 4 - After 2 fun-filled days, we took it easy today. Got up later than usual, met Uncle Sam & Aunty Nancy, walked around Harbour City before making our way to One Peking to "yum zhou cha". Ohhh, lovely food, lovely company & lovely view of the harbour once again :) We then went to shop around for a while before heading back to the hotel to rest a while. Actually, it was mum who dozed off for about 30 mins. After that power nap, we made our way to Temple Street to venture into the street markets. It was crowded but interesting and I got myself a super hero suit - Superman! (Mum says: Of all places to buy! Could have bought it at any of Singapore's pasar malam!). We met Uncle Sam & Aunty Nancy for seafood dinner before we continued with more shopping right up to midnight before we walked back to the hotel together :)

Day 5 - We packed our suitcases & met Uncle Sam & Aunty Nancy for breakfast before saying our goodbyes. Dad accompanied us to the airport before mum & I flew back on our own while dad stayed on for a few more days. I had a great time! Till the next trip to HK - looking forward to it again :)

Day Out With Isaiah

2009-09-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

Mum told us to look at her...and we did!

Now back to our conversation

Impromptu water play!

Isaiah's sexy look :)

Ice-cream to end the day!

This morning, I met with Isaiah at Jacob Ballas Children's Garden (with mum & Aunty Corinna of cse!). It was hot & so we all sat in the hut to chit chat before deciding to go to CSC for play, lunch, swim & ice -cream! We chatted non-stop throughout the time though we may not have understood each other thoroughly! Haha...but then pals can understand each other under any circumstances! The bottomline was we had loads of fun together & the 2 mummies were glad that we were really well-behaved. Till the next outing, Isaiah!

How I Like My Eggs!

2009-08-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Baby eggs (quail's eggs) are my favourite in soup!

If I want them in my soup, I gotta help peel them :)

Done 6, 9 more to go...this is really hard work!

I love eggs, especially the baby ones (quail's). Whenever we cook soup, I would suggest to put them in so that I could enjoy them for my meals! Now that I am more independent & have this enthusiasm to help out in the kitchen, my task is to peel the baby eggs.

Mummy writes: He requested for melting egg one morning & I had to call my mum to ask what was that! It's a language only understood by both of them! It was soft boil egg = melting egg! He has his melting egg with either black sauce or tomato ketchup. The east meets west style of eating his melting egg!

Funny Conversations

2009-08-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

Cephas:"I tell you a secret."
Us:"Sure, what is it?"
Cephas: "I love you Daddy/Mummy." (whispers while giggling)

Us:"Why did you come over to sleep in our room?"
Cephas: "Because."
Us:"Because of what?"
Cephas:"Just Because." (Didn't know 'Because' is an answer by itself) :P

Grandma:"My friend's name is Daisy."
Cephas:" Daisy? You know Daisy? Daisy is Donald Duck's girlfriend!"

Cephas:"Can I sleep with you in your room?"
Us:"Why?"
Cephas:"Because my room is very dark. Can I? Please...please...pretty please."
Us:"So when will you sleep in your room?"
Cephas:"Tomorrow night. My room won't be so dark anymore." (What a lousy excuse:P)

Us:"Why are your counting your coins?"
Cephas:"I want to buy air ticket to HK."
Us:"Do you know how much is your air ticket?"
Cephas:"Yesss...$2! (How we really wish it is only $2 for the air ticket!)

Lazy Sunday

2009-07-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Daddy! It's my daddy's birthday today. We went to Prime Society @ Dempsey Hill for brunch :) We were the only ones there - lovely cos I had the attention from everyone present! Hahaha...Well, on a serious note, the place was nice & cosy to sit back, relax & enjoy a meal.

Dad & mum enjoyed this platter of oysters! I didn't! I found it too raw to my liking although Dad squeezed my favourite lemon on one of them before he fed it to me. I told him "One is enough..."

That's my order from the kid's menu - Beef Burger & Fries! It came with a generous helping of tomato ketchup & I generously helped myself to it on the burgers & the fries! Yummy yums :)

This is life :P Nice & relaxing...better enjoy as much as I can :)

Btw, dad order Steak & Eggs from the Brunch Menu & mum order Beer Battered Fish & Chips & we had a pitcher of the Prime Iced Tea (Omitted the photos if not I'll have people salivating over my blog :P)

At The Pool

2009-07-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I can finally go swimming after a month's of rest! I fell sick (cough & cold) when school resumed after the June holidays. I am better now & so, we decided to hit the waters on this nice bright & sunny day. Dad bought a waterproof marine case for our camera & so, we brought the camera to the pool as well. Can finally bring the camera without us into the pool with the fear of wetting/spoiling it :)

Struggling against the current of the river pool! Mum caught me in time - thanks to my goggles!

Having fun :)

Making water angels

Last Weekend

2009-06-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

All geared up for the ride

What's going on there?

I enjoy the attention

Enjoying myself

This is the last weekend before school re-opens on Monday! To sum the month of June up, I did have lots of fun with my friends, the activities & quality time spent with dad & mum. I look forward to going back to school to see my teachers & friends (kind of miss them after the long break). Heard grandma wants to buy me a bicycle to reward me for my good grades last term (:P). I better continue to be good this term at home & in school :)

Tioman Island (18-21 Jun)

2009-06-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

We went for a short getaway on the 3rd week of the school holidays. Mum booked us on this holiday way back in Feb! Why? This was a promotion that was extended to her organisation's personnel. The package was value for money (cheap!)- it included return flight on Berjaya Air (1st time hearing about it? Us too!), 4D/3N stay at Berjaya Tioman (we extended an extra day from 3D/2N) & daily breakfasts.

Day 1 - We went to Seletar Airport to catch our flight to Tioman! It was cool to hear & see the small planes & helicopters flying in & out of the airport. It was even more exciting for me to walk out of the waiting area onto the tarmac to board the plane. While it was interesting to fly in such a small aeroplane - Dash 7 48 seater aircraft, it was not much of fun as turbulence was felt throughout the 35-minute flight! Fortunately, we arrived at our destination safe & sound :P The weather was hot hot hot - lovely for a nice tan! It drizzled after we checked in & so we stayed in our chalet until it was dinner time! We walked out of the resort to this Chinese restaurant that faced the beach. We had a decently nice seafood dinner & watched the lovely sunset!

Day 2 - Got up early to grab breakfast as the weather was great for a swim. I was promised time at the pool in the morning as long as I finished my breakfast! We spent about 2 hours playing in the water until it got too hot for comfort. We had lunch at the gazebo restaurant before heading back for a afternoon nap. I overheard that mum sneaked off to the Ayura Spa for an aromatic massage while Dad & I napped. We headed out on the beach for a stroll & ended up at the same Chinese restaurant for dinner again...that's how small the place is! I was rewarded with a colourful ice-cream as dessert.

Day 3 - What can I say? The sequence went like that: breakfast, pool, beach, lunch, nap, pool & beach. We had BBQ & Buffet dinner at the resort tonight. We concluded that it was a nice & relaxing holiday for the family! We looked forward to going home with our nice tans after the idyllic time on the island for 4 days.

Day 4 - We were up early to pack our luggage. Our return flight was at 2 pm & so we managed to squeeze in about 2 hours at the pool after breakfast. After that, we went back to wash up & pack up before heading to the lobby to check-out. We went to the airport to check-in our luggage, get our assigned seats & passports chopped for departure. After that, we came out of the airprt to explore the jetty area & surroundings of the airport (yes, they do allow that!)The flight back was better (not so bumpy) and it was great to be back home again!

June Holidays - Week 2

2009-06-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

12 June - We finally made it to the Jurong Bird Park! We've not been there since Dec 2006. That's quite a long time ago. This time round, I bought a regular buddy of mine- my cousin Algina, who is 10 months younger than me. The weather was lovely & so was the company. We walked/ran continuously for 4 solid hours before we finished touring the entire park! I enjoyed the Birds n Buddies show and feeding the colourful birds at The Lory Loft. The most exciting part was waslking across the 12metres high suspension bridge!

June Holidays - Week 1

2009-06-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

30 May - The June school holidays are here! Dad & Mum promised me lots of fun & endless play :P We were supposed to go the the Jurong Bird Park but it started to storm when we were heading towards the place after breakfast. With quick thinking, Auntie Corinna suggested we head out to Fidgets at Turf City. We've heard of this place but didn't get a chance to check it out. Thanks to the thunderstorm, we finally got to visit the place! I absolutely love it and so did Isaiah! We just went round & round on the slides until the adults were exhausted :P We ended the day with delicious ice-cream at scoops to cool us down!

Dad felt that the prices were reasonable. Children below 2 years old paid $8 each and those who were above 2 years old paid $15 each for the unlimited play. The adults went in free - something that hardly happens here. There's a cafe for the adults to chill out while the kids expelled their energy at the play area.

31 May - As a reward to my good grades for the first half of the school year, I was promised a present. Off to shopping we went & I picked up a dinosaur toy that was able to walk & roar. Mum asked me to name it and I called it DENO...hahaha...

5 June - It was so much fun that we went to Fidgets again with Natalie & Javen! This time round, we spent a longer time there! All 3 of us were exhausted at the end when it was time to go. I fell asleep in the car on our way to Ikea for some shopping!

6 June - Mum & I met Aunty Corinna & Isaiah at the Alliance Francaise Theatre (ACE Festival 2009) to watch the Gingerbread Man. It was an hour long of entertaining music & drama. Isaiah & I enjoyed it until we were dancing on our seats! Dad picked us up after the show ended & we went for lunch & shopping at Marina Square. Guess who we bumped into - Thomas & Friends! I also finally mustered enough courage to ride on the animal rides that moved when I stepped on the pedal on my own. Need improvement on the steering part though :P

Parents-Teachers Meet

2009-05-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

Mummy writes: Today, we met Cephas' teachers for his mid-year progress report. I must say, we were surprised (but very pleased & proud) with the grades that he had received. For his personal development, he received mostly E(xcellent) grades. His form teacher informed us that she gave those grades as she saw a confident individual who was willing to learn in class. For the June holidays, she emphasised for us to help him to learn to spell & write his name without the help of dotted lines. The other task would be to remind him to colour within designated spaces. Overall, she shared that he was enthusiastic in everything, speaks well, well-mannered & disciplined. What made him stand out in class was that he would greet/say goodbye to the principal, teachers & cook/cleaner when he arrives in/leaves school.

His Chinese teacher shared that Cephas needs some catching up to do where mandarin is concerned. This is because he does not switch to speaking the language easily. She sees his willingness to learn but he is held back as he is weak in grasping the language. As such, she encouraged us to start speaking to him in mandarin at home so that he is able to converse in the language and not just learn words or phrases. For mandarin, he is able to recognise his names, name colours & shapes, & differentiate sizes. Although he is weak in the language, he would still put his hand up to go to the board to attempt to answer the teacher's questions. What a brave boy!

Form teacher wrote: Cephas enjoys playing with the blocks. He is creative with blocks and enjoys telling his peers about his constructions. he has good eye-hand coordination and math concept on building a stable structure.

Chinese teacher wrote: He concentrates on his reading. A polite boy, he would greet everyone when he arrives in school. He is willing to do his things on his own, able to concentrate in class & would participate in all activities. She is pleased with his progress!

He Can Read

2009-05-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Mummy writes:

Cephas' school has a reading programme. Every Friday, he would bring a book home from the school's library to read for the weekend - for us to read to him actually. Other than this, they also have reading lessons in class. This is a book that the school has been teaching them to read. He is able to point to the words and read them out - much to my surprise! However, I think it is rote reading for him at this point. He is probably looking at the pictures on the left pages as clues and then read the sentences. Eg. book=read, numbers=count, ball=play, musical notes=sing & colour pencils=draw. This is good as it teaches him to slowly recognise the words as he keeps reading them over and over again.

Presents from Overseas

2009-05-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Firefighter outfit, firefighter accessory case & firefighter helmet from ELC

In the case: fire extinguisher, fire fighter's badge, loud-hailer, belt, torchlight & axe

Equipping myself

I like this outfit!

My cute tee from Prague

My granduncle Barry & grandaunt Irene went to Eastern Europe for a holiday & bought me the cute red tee. They stopped by in Dubai on their way back to visit my Uncle Adrian & Aunt Vivien who bought me the fire fighter suit along with the helmet & its accessories. My graunduncle & grandaunt carried it back for me! Yippeee...what a treat! I am so thankful for my loved ones who shower me with love & gifts all the time. Thank you Barry lao teoh, Irene lao yi, Adrian gu gu & Vivien kim kim!

My Vainpot Phase

2009-04-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

I found this pair of shades (handed down by Uncle Glen) in my cupboard over the weekend. It's been there for a long time but I didn't fancy it until now. On Monday, I kept it in my school bag and wore it on my way home on the school bus. Grandma couldn't believe it when the school bus turned it and she saw me smiling with my shades on! Even the bus aunty couldn't help laughing and told grandma that I was so vain! Dad says my vanity comes from Mum and Mum is happy as long as I am vain for grooming purposes! Quite stylo mylo right?

Art Work

2009-04-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

Choosing the colours

My rainbow of colours!

This is fun!

I could do this all day long...

We finally went out to buy the brushes, paint, palate and I excitedly showcased my art talent in one afternoon :) I enjoy the painting works and this copy has been rolled up nicely and tucked away in case I can start my own gallery in future :P

Mar School Holidays Summed Up

2009-03-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

School Materials & My Reward

2009-03-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

On top of my term's school fees, dad & mum need to pay additional $$ per term for school materials. They have wondered what sort of school materials they have paid for. Today, the school returned most of the school workbooks that I had completed for the first term. All in all, there were 5 English workbooks and 4 Chinese workbooks. The English workbooks consisted of My English Activity Book, Fun With Colours, My First Math Book, Reading Is Fun and Songs & Rhymes. The Chinese workbooks were about the same syllabus except that they were in Mandarin. I collected quite many stars from the teachers' markings :P Dad & mum were impressed while my grandparents were proud of me!

The 'reward' from school for my hard work for the first term is an activity book to complete during the school holiday! There is a mixture of English and Mandarin worksheets in the book for me to recap what I've had learnt for the past 10 weeks before we move on to a new curriculum for the next term.

To kick off the March school holidays, dad & mum are rewarding me with a show 'In The Garden' at The Arts House on Sunday! This show is part of the Prudential Children First - Singapore International Festival for Children. I am so looking forward to it as I'll be going with my buddy, Isaiah, and then we'll be having lunch together after that! Yeah, can't wait for the break from school so I can indulge in my own activites!

An Update

2009-02-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

Mummy writes:

Dear Cephas,

It's been two months since you've started school. It was a rough start initially as you would whine when you woke up in the mornings. Your favourite line was "Today no school?" else it would be "It's so windy, I cannot go to school." or "I've got cough/cold/fever, cannot go to school." You have more or less slipped into the routine of going to school from Mondays to Fridays and spending the weekends catching up on activities (watching your cartoons, playing your toys, reading your story books, etc) that you used to do when you were home 24/7!

You've picked up a lot during the two short months in school. You would break into songs, nursery rhymes throughout the day. However, we all love to hear you speak/sing in Mandarin (with a tinge of "ang moh" accent)! I would love to record it down and let you hear it yourself! Most importantly, you have learnt to be confident & independent. You can wear/take out your socks and shoes, carry your schoolbag, pour your own drinks, feed yourself during snack time in school, draw/write on the whiteboard, identify some letters of the alphabet and tell us it is February 2009! You can also able to share about what happened in school when we ask:"How was school today?" or "Did you enjoy yourself in school?"

We are touched that you have also learnt to be sensitive and considerate to the people around you. You told grandma:"Mama, can you cook for daddy?" when you saw me drinking soup at our dining area and daddy was not drinking any. Mama was tickled when you asked her if you could bring bananas back for daddy and mummy after you've had yours. I was touched to hear that you wanted to wait for me to come back from class to go to the bird park together even when daddy urged you to join shu shu & family for the excursion. Such small gestures are very touching and show that you care & love everyone who's a part of your life :)

Helping Out

2009-02-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

Washing up & lovin it!

This needs lots of concentration

Let's be serious about it. Recently, I started using the 'adult' plates, bowls, forks & spoons during meal times at home. Dad got me interested in helping wash up after meal times too! It's very fun to be so involved in everything 'adult' at home. I am learning how to be independent!

Fun Time - CNY 2009

2009-02-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

CNY 2009

2009-01-28T16:00:00.000-08:00

I finally got my own library card! The library near home was refurbished & opened again recently for big fans like me. I dragged dad & mum there with me to get my member card! Now, I can go every other weekend. I've got my personal library at home, another one at school & now a very big one I can go to for other books. I love the library!

This CNY, I fell in love with this lovely food item called "bak kwa"! I would wake up and ask "Can I have bak kwa, pls?" I had to abstain from it when I fell ill the week before CNY. I am all well now & I am definitely going to indulge in a few extra pieces of them to make up for the week that I didn't eat them! Yeah!

I am getting ready to go to school for the CNY celebrations with my friends. Dad & mum are sending me there to day & so I will not be waiting for the school bus :). Class is early today for the CNY party & we were all told to bring some treats to school to share with our friends and teachers. I bought 2 packets of individually packed marshmallows (grape and strawberry flavoured) to share with everyone!

Time to head out to school! Like my outfit? Makes me look like a kung fu fighter. Everyone likes it - bought it in Chinatown for $18.

My goodies from the school party. The oranges were given by the school while the others were from my friends. Had a great time today!

School Stuff

2009-01-09T23:00:00.001-08:00

My school bag

My schedule

Snack details for Jan & Feb

What I'll get to eat in Mar :)

The first week of school is finally over! Well, I started out a bit resistant but have come to accept the fact that I would need to change into my school uniform at about 10.30 am and head down to wait for the school bus to bring me to school. My form teacher has called mum twice to assure her that I have adapted well and am participating in class activities. I have even pee-ed in the school toilet & joined in the snack time! For the first 3 days, I refused to pee in the toilet & eat the snacks. When I came home, everyone told me that it was not good to keep my pee until I came home (4 hours!) and not to be anti-social (I actually asked my teacher to pack my snack to bring home!). Great! I have been telling dad & mum that I enjoy going to school!

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserves

2009-01-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

Going To School

2009-01-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

All ready for school...

That's my school uniform :)

It was a bit overwhelming

This is my classroom

I started nursery classes at Apple Tree Kindergarten today. As it was the first day of school, it was only a 2 hour programme. I was excited when mum changed me into my uniform and when we were waiting for daddy to pick us up to go to school. I rushed into the play area when the doors opened and when I turned, I realised dad and mum did not follow me in. I cried for them and they went into the classroom with me for a while. After I started playing with the toys, they left after telling me to enjoy and that they will come back for me later. Auntie Elsie, the assistant teacher, kept me company the entire time I was in class. However, I did not want to eat the snacks and neither did I want to go to the toilet. When classes were over, I saw dad and mum waiting for me outside the school. I went to the play area to have a go at the slide before I ran to them sobbing :P In the evening, I made a pact with them that I would go to school on the school bus on Monday and that they would meet me at the school before my class starts. However, I told them I didn't want to eat the snacks or go to the toilet. We'll see about my performance on Monday :)

A Great Start to 2009!

2009-01-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

Among the sugarcane plants

We sneaked in for a shot of a villa

Trying my hand at fishing :) Enjoyed myself thoroughly!

Looking for more...

My catch for the day :)

We visited D'Kranji Farm Resort today. I was fascinated with the different vegetables, plants & fruits being grown there. When mum said we were going to a farm, I asked her what animals will I get to see. Mum told me it was a vegetables & fruits farm when we arrived. I found my favourite limes and lemons there...yummy yummy yum! Felt like plucking them out but they were not ripe! I tried my hand at fishing for the first time as well. Well, thanks to dad and mum who helped me scoop the fish out of the pond with the net. That's how I caught my fish! I got to bring home the fish, tank and net after the session ended. I enjoyed myself tremendously! Check out the website for more details!

Three-Year Old Review

2008-12-30T23:00:00.000-08:00

Before my birthday every year, I would visit NUH for my annual review. This is because of the PROMPT project. This year, I went after my birthday as we had to re-schedule the appointment twice. I am 94cm tall and weigh 15 kg now. According to Dr Janelle, I am within 50 percentile of the range of my peers. She also commented that I speak rather well for a three-year old. After the medical review, I was given 2 goodie bags! I found 2 tins of Gain IQ Kid (great cos I am drinking that now), 5 sachets of Nan 3 milk, 5 sachets of Grow milk, 2 tubes of Kodomo toothpaste, 2 tubes of insect repellent, 2 bottles of QV bath wash and 2 bottles of QV moisturising lotion. That's all for now until my next review :)

Starting School in 2009

2008-12-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

Orientation for school

Details about first day of school

The letter has finally arrived! I will be attending the orientation for my nursery class on 29 Dec 2008 at 10.30am. From what we've been told, the session is to show parents and students their respective classes, the time-table & the school facilities. I will be also be trying on & buying my school uniform as well as meet the school bus operator & make the necessary transport arrangements. The school will be giving each student a school bag too :) I've even got new shoes! All ready for school!

My parents prefer that I attend the morning session but the places for the morning session were filled up by the time we registered for school and so we had to settle for the afternoon session for next year. We'll see how we cope with the first term :) I'm sure I'll enjoy myself. Everyone's been telling dad & mum that the school is good - it has to be judging from the school fees we are paying per term :) Most importantly, I'll be learning and exploring! Guess my bumming days of Disney cartoon network are over :P

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

This year, I helped dad & mum set up the X'mas tree! I was a great help putting up the decorations & admiring the presents that were placed under the tree after 3 fantastic & fun-filled shopping trips :) These are the presents that we gave away! So many huh? Mum bought me a Mickey Mouse hat as I had outgrown the old one. However, I didn't want to wear it & so, it became the master piece of our tree this year! Hee hee hee...

These are the presents we received this year. Most of them were mine! As anyone can tell, I am going to open up the presents now!

As tradition goes with any child, I will start with the biggest one! Here I go!

Admiring and assessing each present as I unwrap them!

I was very cooperative this year. I actually obliged mum by posing with my presents for a shot! I love all the presents especially the drum set given by Aunty Janet (Mum's JWOC buddy). Mum promised she'll set it up for me soon. Thank you everyone for the lovely presents!

I Love Lemons

2008-12-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

I love lemons! Uncle Chin introduced lemons to me when I was a few months old. Since then, I've been hooked. Dad & mum would always ask me "Isn't it too sour for you?" My reply would be "No, I love it, my favourite!" Can tell that I am relishing the my yummy lemon moments right? Well, I love everything & anything with lemons in them...hahaha...

Excavators, Microphones & Tanks

2008-12-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

See the joy in my face? Yep, I picked out this BD present for myself. It's dad & mum's present to me. It's a remote controlled excavator. Sometimes, I call it "Digger" for short.

Dad & I attended mum's JWOC's Family Day at the school itself. There, I entertained a small group with my moves & singing with the microphone.

We went to the auditorium where mum & her fellow course mates gather in the morning before breaking up into their respective syndicate rooms. I found a microphone to goof around with while waiting for the movie "Kungfu Panda" to be screened. Looked like I was giving a speech huh?

I was the first one on the tank ride. All I had to do was step on the accelerator & manoeuvre myself around. Enjoyed myself!

This remote-controlled tank was the next in line for me to play with. I managed to move around the obstacles with dad's help. He taught how to use the remote control buttons. This was fun too! Can't wait to join the army :P

I Am Three!

2008-12-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

Smiling with Dad

Giggling with Mum

Getting ready for the BD song

My presents

Getting ready for school set!

I am officially Three-years old today! Dad came home early with a nice birthday cake & we both went to pick mum up. Mum skipped a course meeting to come back early too! Yippee! Grandpa, grandma, grandaunts Alice & Irene along with granduncle Barry also popped by for my small BD celebration. I enjoyed the cake very much - Lemon, which is my favourite! Thank you auntie Corinna & Isaiah for the "Stuck On You" Set. Love the stickers! Thank you all for the presents & the angpows too!

What A Scare!

2008-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Mummy writes: On Sunday morning, Cephas woke up crying and was complaining of a pain in his left thigh. He settled down after a while and was able to walk properly. We even went for a short shopping trip. He didn't complain of the pain again until evening time. However, he was behaving his usual self and was going about his same old activities. We asked if he wanted to see a doctor but he kept assuring us that he was fine except for the pain.

On Monday morning, my mum called us and informed us that Cephas was crying and couldn't walk this time round. After a while, he was so brave he even limped to the bathroom to take his bath. While limping, he kept telling my mum :"I am almost there, Mama." which saddened her. That prompted her to call hubby and I. I got worried that he may be hit by some strange disease, applied for half-day urgent leave from my course and took a cab back to pick them up to go to the PD. There, the doctor examined him and he told the doctor that the pain was in his left hip and he couldn't straightened his leg.

The PD decided to send Cephas to NUH with a referral letter to let the Orthopedic specialist take a look at him instead. Fortunately, the Children's A&E was not crowded & we were attended to almost immediately. This time round, Cephas managed to walk around the room but with a slight limp. After a check, the 2 specialists decided that he did not hurt his hip bone. They both concluded that it could be an ache in his hip tissue - a result of his viral flu a while back. While we were waiting for the painkiller prescription, he was already running around in the waiting area. Till now, he still walks with a slight limp. The doctors said that the pain would go away in a few days.

Charges for the day amounted to $55 for the PD, $90 for the A&E charges (his medical bill will come later) & $50 taxi fare. All that for a peace of mind & a happy but slightly limping boy!

Latest Fancy

2008-10-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

I loved this tool box! I carry it with me throughout the day, pretending to fix the tables, chairs, bicycle, etc. I took a fancy to this box & the tools after watching Handy Manny on Playhouse Disney Ch34. I love it when Manny & his tools go around the neighbourhood fixing & making the neighbours happy!

I call the excavator "digger". Sounds easier though I can pronounce excavator. This is inspired by the show "Bob the Builder". Anyone can tell that my favourite channel is Ch 34! Haha...The cars are also a collection bought by my grandma & grandaunt. I would play with them when "Bob the Builder" comes on TV.

This set - Dinosaurs & Safari, are an inspiration from "Little Einsteins". Mum loves this show as she finds it educational. Now you know who bought me the set of toys?? Anyway, I would place them on the coffee table when the show comes on. I enjoy the music and the adventures the "Little Einsteins". Makes me want to explore the world!

Children's Day Presents

2008-10-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

5 pairs of shoes for Children's Day! Dad & mum bought me the blue pair sometime back & I only started wearing it recently. The 3 pairs at the back row came from my grandma & grandaunts from their recent shopping trip in Japan. They all concluded I have enough clothes to last me until I am 5 years old and so decided to buy me shoes since I am going to school in 2009. Godpa & Godma came by to visit with a pair of Adidas shoes when they found out that I had enrolled for nursery classes! What a lovely sight, isn't it? Dad commented that I get my vainity from mum where clothes & shoes are concerned...hee!

Re-decorated My Bedroom

2008-09-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Taking a breather after moving my bed over

Putting some toys at the side of the bed :)

My parents have re-decorated my bedroom. First of all, my baby cot turned junior bed has been sitting in my parents' room for the past 2 years and 9 months. Now that I am turning 3 soon & going to school, they have decided that it's time to move my precious bed into my room. I helped them re-decorate the room. The big question is whether I plan to sleep in here on my own. There's a piano next to the entrance of the room & mum has placed a night lamp there. Dad & Mum plan to switch it on while I am asleep. In case, I do wake up disoriented in the middle of the night, I would have the light to guide me out of my bedroom to look for them in theirs. Wish us best of luck for this new sleeping arrangement. So far, I have shown reception & excitement of the bed being moved over.

Cheh Cheh

2008-09-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is Cheh Cheh Nanik. She is from Indonesia and she joined our family in Oct 2006. Since then, she has washed, cooked, sewn, cleaned, etc for me and my family. When time permits, she would also play my toys with me. A month ago, she decided to return home to be with her family when her contract expires - which is today. Since grandma was away in Japan for the week, Cheh Cheh packed up all her things and has been staying with us for the past six days.

Dad & mum took leave and we sent her to the airport. There, she found out that her bags were 18kg in excess weight. She expected it as family and family friends gave her clothes, bags, toys, electrical appliances (sandwich maker & hairdryer) and shoes! She even bought peanut butter to bring home! Mum almost fainted while helping her pack. However, she was delighted to bring all the things home as she would be able to share with her family and her neighbours. She comes from a village that is five hours away from the Surabaya airport. Her parents and her brother left their home at 8am this morning to drive to the airport to wait for her. After she arrives at 2pm, they would drive another five hours home. She has been a good and diligent help for the past two years and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours :)

Then & Now

2008-09-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken in Sep 2006 when I was applying for my passport to travel in Oct 2006. I was only 9 months old. I would think I was quite coorperative as they dad took many photos of me before they decided on the right look for the passport. Then, mum had to carry me against a white make shift backdrop. I think I look super stoned but quite cute! Haha...

This was taken last night. This photo is for my pre-school registration. We'll be doing my registration on Mon, hence the urgency for a nice photo. I was cheekier than the previous photo-taking, making all sorts of funny faces before dad chose the suitable one for Mon.

I have definitely changed quite a bit in the last 2 years. My face is not as chubby as before and my eyes are not as big as before. My hair has grown and I no longer have those few standing strands. I am no longer the stoned kid who would stay put while my parents took photos of me, especially the much needed ones for school registration. Now, I would ask to see the photos after the shots have been taken and make funny faces when my mum is trying to distract me to keep still & dad is snapping away.

A Touching Moment

2008-09-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mummy writes: HB was sick with a cold and was sneezing away last night. The following conversation took place between HB and Cephas.

Cephas:"Daddy, you got cold?"

HB:"Yes, can you take tissue paper for me?"

Cephas:"Ok."

HB:"Can you take from the tissue box outside?"

Cephas:"But it's dark outside, I am scared."

HB:" Plsssss...I really need the tissue paper."

After a dilemmic moment of wanting to go out to take the tissue paper and being afraid of the dark, Cephas extended his hand to HB and said:"You blow your nose in my hand."

We were so touched with his innocent and sincere gesture :) Well done Cephas!

What a Sparkling Time

2008-09-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

Lighting up the sparklers...

What a lovely sight!

So smoky...but I 'm enjoying it...

Wow, so many at a go!

Today is the mid-autumn festival where people would play with sparklers, light their lanterns and eat mooncakes! Dad bought boxes of sparklers a couple of nights ago and we went down to play with them after dinner. This is my first time and I was more excited than afraid about playing with fire! We met our neighbours downstairs and had a fiery time the entire night. What fun what fun!

Apple Tree Kindergarten

2008-09-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

Mummy writes: Cephas will be attending nursery class at Apple Tree Kindergarten in 2009. We have secured a place for him for the 11.45am-2.45am session. We would have preferred that he goes for the 8.30am-11.30am session but there are no vacancies for this time slot. Anyway, the principal suggested that we registered for the afternoon session and be on the waiting list for the morning session. We are 7th on the list. Chances are slim but we are happy that we managed to secure a place for him in a school.

Registration for nursery/kindergarten started in May-Jun period. However, we adopted a laid back attitude as we had not decided which school to enrol him in. We were thinking that Aug/Sep would be a good gauge to shortlist the schools.

I started calling a few schools before the Sep school holidays. To my horror, I found out that many of the schools had no more vacancies for Cephas and that we were on the waiting list in almost all of them. The PCF centre 2 blocks away didn't even have a place for Cephas! Where did all the children come from?! I even 'begged' some of them to squeeze one more boy in but to no avail. The pleas of a desperate mum! :P

There is a lesson to be learnt from here! My friends have joked that I should start shortlisting the primary schools for him and start doing volunteer work next year for his Primary One registration. A good friend even told me "There's no way but the kiasu way. If not, we'll lose out." What an adventure for us and it's only pre-school education!

Lantern - Rabbit or Rat?

2008-09-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

Rat or rabbit lantern?

Dancing around - trying hard not to let the wind blow the flame out.

The flame is finally stable!

Blue coloured wax all over the floor...oh oh...

My grandaunt Irene has been buying me lanterns during every mid-autumn festival for the past 3 years. This year's event was the funniest! She asked grandma about this year's Chinese Zodiac animal. They had both forgotten and went around asking. After they had been told it was the year of the Rat, my grandaunt went around hunting for a traditional cellophane one that was a rat. She was over the moon when she finally bought one. When I finally got it, everyone looked at it and said "That's a rabbit! It's not a Rat!" What an entertaining grandaunt I have! :)

Same Pose Different Time

2008-08-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am relaxing at home today as I am down with fever and a cold virus. I refused to eat anything but I am drinking lots and lots of water and juice. Mum's quite irritated with my whining and refusal to eat anything.

This was me when I was 4-months old. I was such a cutie pie back then. I would eat & drink anything without whining or arguing back then! I think mum wished she had a time machine to transport us back to the period!

My Rock & Roll Guitar

2008-08-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

This evening, mum came back early and so decided to bring me for a haircut at Kimage. We took the feeder bus to Lot 1. I was well-behaved as I sat down quietly in my seat and chatted with mum about what we saw along the way. When we arrived at Kimage, mum's regular hairstylist was present and she ushered me to a seat. She asked me if I wanted to wash my hair. I declined the offer and said mum would wash for me when we went home. Mum & her were amused with my answer. I sat still while she was cutting my hair. As a reward for my good behaviour, mum told me to pick something up at Kiddy Palace. First, I picked a trumpet, then a saxophone before my eyes settled on 3 different types of guitars! I finally chose this cool looking rock & roll guitar and told mum I would like to have it. It came in a transparent bag and I told mum I would carry it around my neck all the way home - and I did! As usual, I started having a mini rock concert with the guitar when I reached home!

Tickled Pink By Me

2008-08-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Me: "Daddy, I use the telescope." using daddy's bolster.
Dad: "Can you see the sky?"
Me: "No, I can't see the sky. This is the room."

Me: "Mummy, can you sing the grape song?"
Mum: "Grape song? I don't know how to sing. Can you teach me?"
Me: "Grape, grape, grape, grape, grape, grape...That's the song, mummy."

I have been taught to close my eyes when graces are being said during meal times. When I spot someone who does not do it, I'll exclaim: "Hey, you must close your eyes!" or "Hey, you didn't close your eyes." I've been pardoned due to my age. If not, I would have earned a black eye or two for embarrassing the person. :P

One night, I was stacking up my story books on top of one another.
Dad: "What are you doing?"
Me: "I am building my tallest book tree."

I opened the fridge one day & saw the red coke cans on one shelf. I looked at mum and told her: "That's my favourite colour!" I think I meant to say it's my favourite drink!

Mum: "Are you a dog?"
Me: "No, I am a boy."
Mum: "Are you an elephant?"
Me: "No, I am a boy."
Mum: "How do you know you are a boy?"
Me: "I have a penis."

Showing Potential

2008-07-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Remember this video of mine when I play at international concerts in future :) I am musically inclined. I can sing (I do that everyday), dance (video dtd Jan 08) & now play the piano! Maybe, I'll be a rock star some day! :)

Goofing Around

2008-07-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

I start young :)

Drinking coke from a wine glass :P

I attended my 8th Great-Granduncle's 80th surprise birthday party at T3 Crowne Plaza Hotel. We were at the Chengal Ballroom where there were 6 tables of non-stop partying people (my kind of people!). It was fun as I got to stay out late, ate the delicious cake, drank from the wine glasses, danced the night away (did my famous break-dancing on stage too!) & sang with the crowd! When are we having another party?!

Every night, I get to goof around for a while before bedtime. This time, I managed to find this cute toy spectacles that Serene Yi Yi bought for me together with the Doctor's Medical Kit for my 2nd birthday. I had a good laugh at myself in front of the mirror when I wore it for the first time! When mum saw me playing with the medical kit, she asked if I wanted to become a doctor in future. My reply to her was "I want to be a pirate!"

Kungfu Friends Collection

2008-06-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

This is my collection of the Kungfu friends from the show "Kungfu Panda" that was launched this month. Grandma Shirley started the ball rolling after she ventured out by bringing me to Macdonald's to reward me with a Happy Meal breakfast and got me Tigeress. I bought Tigeress with me to Phuket & had been seeing the show's advertisements & posters of the show. When I returned from Phuket, dad got me Crane, followed by Mantis (by Irene Lao Yi), Shifu (by grandma again) and Panda (by dad) & Tai Lung from a friend's BD party. Imagine the sets of Happy Meals swimming in my tummy :P After this collection, dad & mum felt that I was ready to watch my 1st movie in the cinema! As usual, there was a big briefing b4 the event. The rules were:

Sit on mummy's lap & not move around too much
Speak softly as there are other people around (Don't I usually? Guess not to warrant that as a rule..hee)
Don't make kungfu moves as I may hit someone with my big moves (Do they think I am the Karate kid?)
Enjoy the popcorn & drinks but not too much of it. (I wonder how to enjoy if I limit my intake :P)

Guess what! I managed to stick to the 4 rules and dad & mum were proud that I had behaved myself during the movie. This would mean more movies for me! Yeah!

My Sun-kissed Holiday in Phuket (4-7 Jun)

2008-06-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

Day 1 - We arrived in Phuket with Uncle Chin, Auntie Stella, Natalie (god-sister) & Cherie at 1730 hrs and were driven to our resort, Allamanda Laguna Phuket, Bang Tao Beach. While we checked-in, we were each offered a nice welcome drink (tasted like Ribena) and a lemongrass scented warm towel to wipe our hands. We paid for golf view rooms when we made our bookings but we were rewarded with lagoon view rooms as the golf view wing was under renovation (hooray for us as the view was fantastic!). On top of that, everyone was pleased with the the Junior Suites as they were spacious & comfortable. Each suite had a bedroom, living room, dining area, kitchenette and a balcony. After settling in, we took the shuttle tuk-tuk to Laguna Beach Resort to walk to the beach for dinner. Dinner was great - we ate authentic Thai dishes!

Day 2 - We all woke up early, went for breakfast @ Courtyard Cafe before heading to the Marine Centre. There, we booked 2 kayaks & a paddle boat. Dad, Uncle Chin, Nat & Cherie toured the resort on the kayaks while Auntie Stella, Mum & I followed them on the paddle boat. It was hot & sunny but we enjoyed chasing one another :) After that, we headed to the pool (my 1st favourite activity!) where I monopolised the baby pool as there were no other children there. When we were satisfied with the sun kissed morning, we headed to the rooms for our bath-tubs (my 2nd favourite activity) for a leisure bath. We then took the shuttle ferry to Canal Village where we had lunch at the bakery (pizza & sandwiches) and rented a 7-seater Toyota Avante (3000THB for 2 days). After lunch, we headed to Patong Beach to sight-see, shop at Jung Ceylon, indulge in foot massages & dinner. We left Patong beach at 10pm. What a full day we had!

Day 3 - After breakfast, we headed for the swimming pools again! The weather was great as usual and we all got nice tans especially mum - she was the darkest of us all! We then headed down to Phuket town - Central Festival is new, for some shopping and lunch. We all went to a sports shop and bought the same design of slippers in 6 different colours! After that, we headed to Patong Beach for more foot massages and a great authentic Thai dishes dinner. We then packed a roasted chicken, guava, mango with sticky rice & some tidbits back to our room for happy hour :) I slept through it all but I could tell that my travelling companions enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

Day 4 - Dad, mum & I headed for the baby pool to soak for an hour before we went to Canal Village for some last minute shopping. We then went back to our room to meet the rest to go for lunch and some shopping just outside Laguna Phuket. Lunch at Chaba was the most expensive and the least delicious during the entire trip. However, we managed to appreciate the surroundings as we were in the midst of nature with the water below us & the mountains in the background. I fell asleep soon after while the others went on to play card games until check-out time at 2.30pm. We were sent to the airport where we processed our check-in before heading to Burger King for a mini tea-break. We had a lot of money left as we had kept aside 700THB each for the airport tax. We only realised that the airport tax had already been included in our air tickets when we went through the customs. This gave us more reason to shop before it was time to board the home bound flight! This was indeed a great holiday!

(Enjoy the slide show)

Funny Conversations

2008-05-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

Me: "Cephas, do you love daddy & mummy?"

Cephas: "Yessss...."

Me: "How much?"

Cephas: "$2..."

Cephas: "Mummy, don't go to work."

Me: "If I don't go to work, there's no money to go shopping, buy toys, go Zoo, Flyer. Then how?"

Cephas: "I give you money."

Me: "If you don't close your eyes and sleep now, I will call the cockroach."

Cephas: "I put the cockroach in the toilet bowl."

Me: "Why?"

Cephas: "Cockroach go swimming then won't find Cephas."

Grandma: "Cephas, do you want to go to school?"

Cephas: "No, mama."

Grandma: "Must go to school. The teacher will teach you ABC and 123."

Cephas:" Don't want. I keep the teacher in the cupboard."

Cephas: "Mummy, I want to go playground."

Me: "Okie, we play for 5 mins and then go home."

Cephas: "Okie mummy."

5 mins later

Me: " Let's go, 5 mins is up."

Cephas: "Can I have 4 mins?"

HB: "After dinner, we'll have dessert. Ok?"

Cephas: "No no no, I don't want to eat lizard."

HB: "Not lizard. Dessert."

Cephas: "Daddy, I don't want to eat lizard."

A Moving Experience

2008-05-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

The Singapore Flyer - The world’s largest observation wheel

Standing at stunning 165m, the Flyer is the height of a 42-storey building – that’s some 30 metres taller than the famed London Eye. Taking a flight on this S$240 million dollar wheel is a one-of-a-kind experience you wouldn’t want to miss.

It’s the only place to see Singapore’s magnificent cityscape

As the wheel turns, you’ll be treated to a visual 360° feast of iconic and historical landmarks and views from the Marina Bay to the Singapore River, Raffles Place, Merlion Park, Empress Place and the Padang. There is no other place in Singapore that offers these breathtaking, panoramic views.

On Top Of The World - The Singapore Flyer

2008-05-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Entertaining myself while Dad went to validate the tickets

Getting impatient because the sun was beating down on me

Ready...get set...blast off!

Finally, a nice family shot. Great view from the top.

Having fun at the rainforest just below the Flyer

Guess what? I've been telling Dad & Mum that I wanted to sit the cable car. They finally brought me to sit in one. I know it's not the same - Singapore Flyer & Cable Car but then it's the same concept. Dad & I went for free while Mum's ticket was at half the price courtesy of Dad's office booking :)

Ours was the 6.30pm flight. We went early and there was already a long queue at the ticketing booth. We had to wait for a while as Dad had to get our tickets validated. Fortunately, the queue moved fast at the booth and the security checks. Soon, we were queueing up to have our photos taken - we didn't buy the photo in the end because I looked away when the camera went off! Saved Dad & Mum $15 for that!

The carriages looked really huge and was moving while we boarded. Fortunately, there was a safety net below the carriages to catch anyone who accidentally fell off. I took up position (right in front of the glass panel) when I boarded and was immediately fascinated with the view as our carriage moved its way up slowly. The skyline was beautiful and I've not seen such a nice top-down view of our city. The ride took 30 mins to complete and we decided we'll go take the ride again when the IR is up! That would be a nicer and brighter sight!

Stumped

2008-04-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

Me: "When we go out, what must you do?"
Cephas: "Must walk. Cannot say bao bao."
Me: "You promised not to say bao bao?"
Cephas: "Yes."

After walking/shopping for some time...he turned to me with arms stretched out...

Cephas: "Mummy, I don't want to walk."
Me: "But you promised no bao bao."
Cephas: "Mummy, I don't want to walk."

Notice he didn't mentioned anything about wanting to be carried. He just mentioned he didn't want to walk. Got HB & I super stumped. Where did he learn that from?

We Are So Proud Of You

2008-04-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Cephas,

Daddy & mummy (grandmas, grandpas, uncles, aunties and grandaunts too!) are so proud of you. We decided that it was time to potty-train you about a month back. We bought the training underwear for you. We told both grandmas to let you wear them under your shorts when you were awake and to only let you wear diapers when you were going to sleep. We did the same for you when you were at home with us.

You felt a little awkward in the beginning when you didn't wear your diapers. However, you were rather prepared with only 2 little pee accidents as you were too engrossed in playing. We constantly reminded you to tell us when you wanted to urinate so as to bring you to the potty. You were quite a cute sight when you say " I want to wee wee..." and then making your way to the potty. You learnt to pee on your own within a week. You were fast indeed!

However, you were not poo-trained. You were not prepared to let us know in advance when you wanted to poo. As a result, we were picking up poo after you for a few times. It was funny and frustrating at the same time but we didn't want to make a big deal out of it. We didn't reprimand or discourage you. We decided that you were just not ready. We continued to remind you to let us know and that there was nothing to be shy or afraid of.

Tonight you did us proud! You told mummy that you wanted to poo and made your way to the potty at grandma's house. You sat there and poo-ed right into the potty! Mummy took 3 photos of you sitting on the potty and MMS-ed the cutest one to daddy. Never imagine how happy 2 parents, a grandma, a grandaunt & a domestic helper were to watch you poo into a potty. We clapped, kissed and told you how proud we were of you!

(We are not exposing those photos in your blog!)

What Will I Be When I Grow Up?

2008-04-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

A soldier? Mum was on an official course recently & I have been goofing around with her uniform & accessories whenever she's back home. This was a day when Mum came home in her No. 4 Army uniform. I rushed to put on the boots & beret. Made the picture perfect with my new toy rifle!

A truck driver? I think I look kind of professional controlling my new vehicle. If I grow up to be big & burly, why not?

A professional cyclist? Earn as much as Lance Armstrong! Think Dad & Mum wouldn't mind me bringing home all that $$! Kaching!

A gamester? Heard the prize money for such competitions is great too! I can start practicing all my moves now & look for competitions once I am eligible! Catch me in the news next time :)

A motorcycle racer? If I don't make it as a professional cyclist, this will be my next career choice. Race around Asia, USA, Europe, etc. What a nice way to travel too! :)

Science Centre & Waterworks

2008-03-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

Checking out the exhibits

Hands-on learning

Catching the light

Snack time before the my favourite activity

Doing the rain dance - splashing around!

We went to the Science Centre today. It was rather crowded as it was the beginning of the school holidays. I could not understand most of the exhibits, the explanations of the signages. However, I looked at the exhibits, played with them and kept telling my parents "I want to go to the beach." On the way to Science Centre, they had told me they were going to bring me to Waterworks to play with water. They even got me ready in my swim wear. To me, water play is either at the swimming pool or the beach. Lately, my favoured place has been the beach because I get to play with sand! Well, I didn't get to go to the pool or the beach today BUT I still got my water play at the man-made water area. What a nice day!

Junior Driver

2008-03-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

I take every opportunity to be at the driver's seat when either dad or mum vacates the seat. Lately, I even put on mum's shades to get into character :)

Dad & mum bought me a similar looking pair of shades from this little shop at Sentosa. Mine is placed alongside theirs in the car. However, I prefer the original Oakley pair. Makes me look cool when I am 'driving'.

Sometimes, I am quite innovative. I wear the shades upside down. They feel comfortable right side up or upside down. Moral of the story - must wear original!

When No One was Watching

2008-03-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

We went for grocery shopping at Cold Storage King Albert Park this morning. Dad & mum bought Sushi to eat for lunch later as we had quite a heavy breakfast. While Dad was cutting the watermelon up & Mum was packing the groceries in the kitchen, I spied upon the California hand rolls. No one was watching over me in the kitchen :P When mum turned around to see what I was doing, I was already happily tucking into one of the hand rolls. She didn't know whether to be angry or amused with me sitting right smack in the kitchen & enjoying myself quietly. She was impressed that I managed to bring down the box from the counter top, open the box by removing the rubber band & unwrapping the hand roll. Dad was laughing away while Mum decided to snap photos to blog this down. Impressive huh? ")

TumbleBooks Library

2008-03-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

When I was a few months old, mum helped me sign up for Tumblebook Library after being recommmended to this fabulous e-book concept by Godma. Once in a while , she would sit with me in front of the PC to entertain me with the e-stories. However, I can concentrate better & sit on my own now without much supervision. All dad & mum have to do is to log in for me, click on the stories I have chosen & I can to listen & enjoy the interesting animation of the e-books.

TumbleBook Library is a collection of animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. TumbleBooks are created by taking the existing picture books, adding animation, sound, music & narration to produce an electronic picture book which you can read or have read to you.

Getting ready with my e-book...

Dinosaurs, bug, doggies, here I come!

My story has begun...chat with you later...

Non-Stop CNY Celebrations

2008-02-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

This year, dad & mum figured that I would understand the festive season of CNY better since there were so much preparations prior to the start of the celebrations. They gave me 2 angpows after I 'bai niang' with them on the morning of the 1st day. It was easy :) I took 2 oranges from the basket & gave them to them saying " Gong Xi Happy New Year."We visited both sets of grandparents before visiting my aunts, uncles, granduncles & grandaunts. Lovely - collected so many any pows :P

That's dad & I watching Happy Feet. I absolutely love the show & watched it throughout the CNY holiday. I would imitate the tapping feet movements of Bobo the penguin whenever he danced in the show.

On the 3rd day, we were invited to Auntie SL's house for lunch. Mum met Auntie SL & Auntie C in the office more than 10 years ago and they have since become very good friends. I always hear them say "We'll grow old together." Coincidentally, the 3 mummies have 3 sons. During their annual X'mas shopping trips, they would always be lamenting about not having daughters because the girls' clothes are so much nicer to shop for! Anyway, their retirement plan is to go to Alaska together - when we boys are serving our NS stint. :)

That's me being excited that I am having friends over to play with :)

On Day 4, we invited our family friends over for lo hei & a simple lunch. This year, dad & mum decided to cook simple dishes for everyone - beehoon, chicken wings, sotong balls, homemade ngoh hiang & toufu. That was the frenzied 4 days of celebrations for CNY. Although it was tiring, it was rather fun overall!

Dancing Away

2008-01-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

This took place at Marina Square 2 weeks before Christmas. We were on our way to Marina Mandarin for a wedding dinner when we chanced upon the TJC's choir carolling on stage. I have enjoyed music from a very young age. Could it be because Mum was listening to a lot of music when she was expecting me? It was not a deliberate move on her part - it just happened. Anyway, I would always sway my body whenever I hear music and kind of created my own dance movements when I started walking. Being very free-spirited, you can see that my movements go according to my feelings at the moment. Sometimes, I would hum/sing along as I dance. Enjoy this little clip of mine. Dad has nicknamed my dance movements as "The Armpit Dance" - anyone can see why :)

Fret No More

2008-01-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

Yes! Dad & Mum saw this with their own eyes to believe it! I didn't fret or cry during my hair cut at Junior League @ United Square. In fact, I made myself quite at home. I requested for a sweet when Mum placed me on the chair & the hair stylist obliged me by putting the entire bottle in front of me for me to choose the flavour of the sweet. After that, I allowed her to put the protective sheets on me & proceeded with cutting my hair. I even allowed her to use the electric razor to trim the back & sides of my head. All in all, I had 3 sweets during that 8 min hair cut. If you all remember, I had 2 very bad experiences when having my hair cut in 2007. I was traumatised & so were my parents! After that, grandma brought me to Junior League for my 3rd hair cut & I was such a good boy during that trip. Dad & Mum then decided Junior League was a very good option for the CNY hair cut so that the 3 of us would fret no more! The $20 was truly well spent for some peace & quiet :)

My Cuddly Friend - Poldy

2008-01-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

Hey, meet my new cuddly friend - Poldy! He's huge but nice to hug/hold/drag around/lie on! Well, mum brought me to her office for the department's breakfast on New Year's Eve. There, Auntie Gan (mum calls her Gan mama because she's very nice & motherly to all the colleagues) gave me Poldy. I took an instant liking towards him & was dragging him around wherever I went! You can see why - he's huge! I had an idea when I reached home. I placed him on my Mega Blocks truck to wheel him around the house! It's been much easier & ohhh...I love him so :)

Making My Own Decisions

2007-12-31T20:00:00.000-08:00

The weather was nice and so, we went downstairs to play my new remote controlled car & I brought along my bottle of bubbles. I was more interested in wanting to blow the bubbles than play with the car. The breeze was quite strong & so I surveyed the surroundings & decided that the pavilion was an ideal place to blow the bubbles :) I told dad & mum "Go there".

When we reached there, I said "I do it." I was rather confident & my motor skills were impressive. I could dip the stick into the bottle on my own & stirred it without help while saying & repeating "I dip, I dip" continuously.

After much dipping & stirring, I took out the stick and said "Blow bubbles" & then started blowing. It was more like spitting the bubbles out of the stick according to dad & mum. Never mind, I accomplished the task - that's the important issue here :) Dad & mum love this photo of me. It shows my true cheeky self :P

After blowing the bubbles out, I then checked which direction they had flown to. I was rather impressed with myself. I made all those decisions without much help.

Riding Into 2008

2007-12-31T18:00:00.000-08:00

2007 has been a good year for me as well as my family & I intend to usher in 2008 with loads of enthusiasm. My journey towards 2 years old was filled with lots of adventure & play. I must say I learnt a lot through play & managed to pick up words that have surprised those closest to me - my parents! Well, I not only learnt through play but from the many story books that I own now &, watching TV & VCDs as well (Fun Song Factory, Hi-5, Little Einsteins, Elmo, Sesame Street, Blue's Clue's. Barney, etc). Other than the gastric flu bout I went through in May, I was overall healthy. I ate & grew well (check out my parents' & grandparents' arm muscles plus my healthy booklet). I am thankful for being well taken care of by all my loved ones! I am really looking looking forward to 2008 - new adventures are awaiting for me to explore! Here's wishing everyone a Happy & Blessed 2008!

Escape Theme Park

2007-12-28T23:00:00.000-08:00

Looking cool with mum's shades :)

I chose a pretty purple car among so many :P

Having a bird's eye view of the other kids & their cars

Dad & I in orange coloured tees :)

Mum & I on a kiddy train ride

This morning, we went to mum's company's family day at Escape Theme Park in Pasir Ris! It was hot hot hot! Nevertheless, I enjoyed myself (as always). I was below the height limit for many of the rides & so I managed only a few kiddy rides - choo choo train & the cars :p Looks like I've got to be a bit bigger before I can embark on the thrilling rides that I saw many adults screaming in. I had free flow of iced water, popcorn & candy floss. Lunch at Burger King was delicious as I dipped everything into my tomato ketchup :P Wonder where we'll go next year? Looking forward to it!