Catching up with my growing boys

Trying to do a quick catchup of the past month or so.

Yu's hair got very long all of a sudden. When he woke in the morning, his hair would be either very flat or very messy. I was thinking of cutting it after our trip to Cameron Highlands in case he got cold but he wanted to cut yesterday.

When asked to pose - hair very long!

Yu could get a haircut on his own now!

"What's that feeling??"

Happy to see himself botak :)

The scar from the fall in May - I showed it to Yang!

Yu could also peddle forward slightly now :)

And this boy was so cute that day when I confiscated Yang's penguin coz he used it hit me a few times on purpose. Yang was sad in the room and Yu was on the throne.

Yu: Mama, can you give Yangyang his owl?
Mama: Owl?
Yu: .... Penguin?
Mama: No, coz he used it to hit me on purpose. He shouldn't have done that right?
Yu: Coz Yangyang is funny, heh heh!
Mama: I didn't think that was funny!!!!

Got some activity books for the three of them a while back. Finally let them do it one weekend. But I was very upset when Kai gave up on his puzzles just coz it went from picture to word puzzles, and pulled out all of Yu's stickers instead!

Yu happily pulling out stickers

Yang having fun with mazes and tracing letters etc over and over again

Kai at his first puzzle

Two weeks ago, I woke on a Sunday knowing there was work to be done. But I promised them a trip to the hawker centre so I put all thoughts of work aside and off we went! Bought a cheapo purse each for N and me and some fruits before we called it a day.

Their first experience with rambutans at the market!

They're all growing up so much. I want to do a lot with them - go cycling outside, go walk the parks, find different food to try, watch plays etc. How I wish I have more energy!

A glimpse into our future, when Yu could join them!

I hope they will grow ever so close as they grow up :)

But I'm sure they won't be as flexible, hoho!

Our first plays

It has been very busy at work - which extended to weekends when Yu would wail while I worked - such that I have little time and energy to do other things. Yet in the past month, we happened to have booked tickets to two plays.

The first was SmartyPants and the Swordfish, a play about bullying. I meant for Sito to bring Kai and Yang coz I thought he might do a better job at unpacking the lessons in the play, but he took ill that weekend so I brought them instead.

The kids could sit on the floor but they mostly sat sat with me - Kai on a chair and Yang on me. The cast was playing basketball and invited the audience to join in. Yang went at one point but when they asked for his name, Kai shouted out his name so Yang turned around and ran back! He said he didn't want Kai to sit on his seat, gee...

It was quite interactive as well as we got to throw paper balls, spears and even swordfish at the cast at various points of the play. And coz it was the last run of the play, we got to bring some props home!

They chose the spears - and Yang got a third one for Yu

We went for the second play yesterday. It was Fantastic Mr Fox - in Mandarin! 了不起的狐狸爸爸 had a cast of six playing all the roles. We could sing the song of the farmers coz it was quite catchy, though I have to make up the second part of the lyrics myself :p

I bought the book - English version - some weeks ago but never got down to finishing it. But after the play, Yang was interested to read the book - I'm so happy!

Vitagen man!

Us, just before the played started

After the play ended, Yang wanted to go up to see the seats above

Of the two, Yang was undoubtedly the more interested one. Both times, he wanted to watch it again by the time we got to the end. On the other hand, Kai was whining about it not being a movie, wanting to stay at home to play PS, "is it in Chinese?!" etc. I recall our trip to Spain, when we watched flamenco. Yang could sit still to watch the whole thing while Kai either fell asleep or was running about!

We're going to get tickets for Gingerbread Man next - it stars from October and is for three and up so Yu could make it!

Looking forward to enjoying more theatre with them :)

Kai is seven!

The Saturday before Kai's birthday, he attended his childhood friend, A's birthday party. We came back to let him choose a present from the poo poo shop before a dinner of his choice - udon of course! We had cake the next day - we came to this decision after a discussion since he doesn't eat cake since no-idea-when!

Seven cupcakes for his seventh!

He got to blow his candle :)

And he had to go to school on his birthday, no choice! I had wanted to take half day to bring him out after school, but I had a workshop that day... But as it turned out, there was Youth Day! So I got his agreement to do his birthday day out on Youth Day instead :)

I thought of bringing him to the luge but he seemed to be uncertain about that. So we decided to go watch a movie instead.

On our way to Vivocity

He was playing with his present when he spotted a couple smiling at him and got all shy

We were trying to get tickets at the machine when he said he didn't want to watch Aladdin anymore and pointed to another show - some horror movie, no!!!!! Anyway, we had to go to the counter to get tickets in order to get the student discount.

And then we went to Harbourfront!

I showed him the baby spa which he used to go to every week. He asked me whether he could still go... Um, no, not since he was a baby!

Went to the Vivocity playground for a short while - too hot!

We got some Garrett popcorn for the movie, oops... He was so impatient to get to the popcorn! But I told him beforehand that he would have to wait until the movie started. The move was quite long and he sat through and laughed at parts. He said he enjoyed it. Yeah, outing success!

Went for lunch at the Ichiban at Vivo - yes, udon! But he didn't like it there. I tried it - it seemed saltier than the one near home.

Playing with his rubik cube while waiting for lunch

Passed by the candy shop to get some jelly beans for him before going home. He was raring to get to his PS3!! I went to get some ice cream for him to have for afternoon tea on his birthday :)

Happy birthday, chubby cheeks!

He's skinny everywhere else...

If that is a guai pose, this is a cheeky one!

Had dinner with the extended family on Saturday so that we wouldn't get home too late on Sunday night. There was an interesting dish - chicken wrapped and cooked in clay!

Kai and Yang had fun blowing out the flame lit under the clay

And breaking the clay!

I think they would be even more thrilled if it were ice cream inside! :p

Yang is five!

I'd been telling Yang for a while that he would have to feed himself and wear clothes by himself once he turned five. And he did both without prompting on his birthday!

Yes, this sunshine boy on a rainy day

The Saturday before his birthday, we bought him a birthday cake at the new cakeshop downstairs from the school after music class, and got to redeem one play of hopscotch! He wanted me to jump with him but no, I didn't want to shake the building...

Jump, baby, jump!

What a lovely cake!

Birthday celebration at home!

He chose Macs for dinner. Well, nothing to see there!

I took a long time to decide on where to go on his birthday. I let him choose between a boat ride and the Botanic Gardens - pleasantly surprised to hear the latter won! He also decided that Kai should not join us coz it was HIS birthday.

First, breakfast at Yakun

Came home to practise for his concert at the next music class, had a lolly, went through baby photos of Yang. Finally peak hour passed! And we were ready to go!

But first, Mama had to pose with a funny face...

We took a train and walked to Jacob Ballas after a couple of wrong turns. I think the gardens could do with more signs for people like me... We ended up spending over three hours at the gardens!

Sand is always a favourite

There was an excavator or sorts!

And a maze!

A tree house with slides!

We spent nearly an hour at the tree house. He was playing, and I was reading on my phone. Towards the end, I found that he made a friend and the two boys were playing with sand and had dug a little pit at the bottom of the slide!

Taking a sip with tortoises staring at us

Ran along a shaky bridge!

Walking on a very long bridge to look for more fun

Flying fox!

A pair of siblings were before us and they told him to hold tight. The bounce when he reached the end gave me a scare - it was a big bounce! Yes, have to hold very tight indeed! He played the thing for 10 or 11 times. That meant I exercised quite a bit too as I had to push him back to the starting point *.*

Walking on stones along a really tiny stream

Colouring while waiting for lunch

He said he was more hot than hungry but wolfed down his lunch - yummy, he said

So I guess that was worth the $9 price tag, not other things included. The friend he made at the tree house was having lunch too - saw them talk a little just before I got back to the table. So cute, kiddy friendship :)

My third and fourth eggs of the day!

His request which was granted, only coz it was his birthday

Yang on a digital botanic adventure!

He continued playing with the big screen, colouring etc while I stoned on a bench. Finally, I dragged him away...

He wanted to take a picture of me with the swan but I forgot to turn it back to portrait after taking a photo of the swan...

The bird stood just as I was taking a photo of Yang!

Took a train back. I thought he would fall asleep on the way but he didn't. We went to the poo poo shop as promised. That's the novelty shop downstairs - the boys found a buzzer that went pooooo on their first trip there last year hence the name..

And he picked up a present!

At first, there was the Star Wars Lego set from Legoland. But he opened it right after our trip so I didn't think he associated that with his birthday. Sito suggested not getting a present from the poo poo shop so that the boys would always love the shop and return to enjoy it. I asked Sito to bring Yang and Yu home every day, and watch them run into the shop and refuse to leave. There.

Enjoying the pinball game!

Yang refused to share at first but somehow, Kai "solved the problem" with some jellybeans. Good. Let them resolve conflicts on their own!

Got Yang a slice of cake but coz he wanted to return to his game, he had only a few bites. And Kai no longer likes cake. Ah well!

Happy birthday my baby!

He did well for his concert on Saturday, considering that that was the first time he played to the accompaniment of his teacher! And so smartly dressed!

A lovely cake on Sunday!

Happy birthday again, my dear Yang!

He got a similar present!

One night after his birthday, we were lying on his bed at bedtime. Somehow we talked about how he might be taller than me by the time he is 15. He asked how old I would be by then. When I told him, he went, "So old?!"

I didn't realise the impact that had on him until a few days later when we were in the dark at bedtime again. It was 4 July - I know coz I posted on Facebook. He suddenly told me, "Mama, I don't want you to grow old and die..." Awww... I lost it when he wiped his eyes - it might not be tears coz I couldn't tell but gosh. I teared up and told him I would try my best to live to see him grow up. Love this sweet little boy!