Wow! Blogging about a birthday party?! Well, how many have we been to in Singapore in the almost three years since we arrived?! Let's see! We went to Amelia's pool party at Clearwater Condo. Amelia was Pit's classmate in K1. Then Pit went to another classmate's party at the Bedok McDonalds. Frunty was not invited to one single birthday party except for when an Australian neighbour ran over at the last minute and invited us to his cake cutting. It was just the three of us though...a real spontaneous party! A Czech family did have us over for a little party and finally, we went to the birthday of a neighbour's 80 year old mother at D'Manor.
We did have our own birthday party our first year at D'Manor. We invited just about the whole class from TPS and some neighbours and hired a magician. Only one person sent an RSVP from Frunty's class. He did show up but long after the magician had finished his show and was just blowing balloons. Song Wan yelled, "this is not a magician!" Well...the thing is...you came two hours late and missed the show! Another girl did come with her sister but we had not heard about whether she would come or not. A few days later, one of Frunty's friend asked, "do you know what I did on Saturday!? I asked, "what?" He replied, "I played video games at Bugis for 5 hours." I kid you not. I asked why he had not come to Frunty's birthday party instead and he shrugged and ran off down the hallway of TPS. I shrugged my shoulders too!
But now that we are part of the HS world, "normal" is coming back into play and we were invited to Zoe's 11th birthday party last night at a condo called Mandarin Gardens. The kids played lots of games and went swimming, in the dark. I remember when I was a child and had the odd night swim. How magical is that! We got home a bit later than I had planned but given that we have gone to so few birthday parties over the years, I could not do otherwise. Normal feels good!
Happy Birthday, Zoe from New Zealand! We found her a Chinese Made Easy book written by a graduate of Queen's University! Perfect gift and the boys chose a nice shirt from Esprit that Zoe wore today when our two families went for a pottery trial class! Now the boys are planning their birthday party and this time, I think we'll get a few more RSVPs!
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Singing
Something wonderful is happening in our home. Both boys but in particular Frunty, walk around humming and singing throughout the day. Frunty even wakes up smiling and laughing and yesterday, Pit was full of bubbles first thing in the morning! And they take giggling showers together and get stuck in the bucket. Their Play Mobil toys are in our bathroom (the one where you can wash yourself and the entire space as well!) and they have a ball.
Everyone seems more relaxed since we have left TPS. Yesterday our family rode our bikes 15 km! We rode to the Scouts HQ and have locked them up there for a few nights. Let's hope we find them on Saturday when we do our Wheel-A-Thon to raise money for the Rainbow Children and our Scout camp in June. Thanks to everyone especially the grandparents for sponsoring.
We just have more time for learning opportunities that are enjoyable, relevant and age appropriate. Today for example, we'll get through Math and Mandarin with Melissa in the morning and then in the afternoon, we will go to a Thermomix cooking class nearby. In other words, simple chemistry and the opportunity to stuff our faces with delectable dishes too. It is a win-win and this class is a private "free from" one for allergy sufferers.
Yesterday we played Badminton with our HS group and you can imagine that we were a bit burnt out from the bike ride. It's a good tired though! The gym we play in though is very hot. No air-con and we cannot use fans as the birdie would then fly off! Hopefully our muscles recover for tomorrow's rock climbing adventure with the same group.
There is art festival now in Singapore and because Melissa works there part-time, she has brought us all the information. Tomorrow night there is a horse spectacle from France and because we are doing HS, we can consider going! The boys don't have to be up at 7 am anymore. They seem to naturally wake up by 8am or so which is a lot easier. We can have a slower breakfast as well and get started with our work in a relaxed way.
I was looking through some of their school work the other day. I am much happier with what they are learning today in terms of English. For one thing, they are now surrounded by native English speakers on a more regular basis so they have both made great strides in the spoken language. In Belgium, I was their only constant native speaker and the same was true in Singapore until we joined Scouts and then moved into the HS world. So I see a big difference already in all areas that count. And yes, they are still doing math!
Must get the recipes emailed to our cooking instructor and make sure we have all the ingredients. Normally the boys put together the recipes and I will get them to read through them before we leave so we can talk about measurements etc. But I will let them sleep a bit longer today so their muscles can continue to repair. Poor Frunty, hobbling home. Boy, does he play hard!
Life in Singapore is so much fun now compared to the last few years and it is because we can compare! Lucky for us we had the option to change!
Everyone seems more relaxed since we have left TPS. Yesterday our family rode our bikes 15 km! We rode to the Scouts HQ and have locked them up there for a few nights. Let's hope we find them on Saturday when we do our Wheel-A-Thon to raise money for the Rainbow Children and our Scout camp in June. Thanks to everyone especially the grandparents for sponsoring.
We just have more time for learning opportunities that are enjoyable, relevant and age appropriate. Today for example, we'll get through Math and Mandarin with Melissa in the morning and then in the afternoon, we will go to a Thermomix cooking class nearby. In other words, simple chemistry and the opportunity to stuff our faces with delectable dishes too. It is a win-win and this class is a private "free from" one for allergy sufferers.
Yesterday we played Badminton with our HS group and you can imagine that we were a bit burnt out from the bike ride. It's a good tired though! The gym we play in though is very hot. No air-con and we cannot use fans as the birdie would then fly off! Hopefully our muscles recover for tomorrow's rock climbing adventure with the same group.
There is art festival now in Singapore and because Melissa works there part-time, she has brought us all the information. Tomorrow night there is a horse spectacle from France and because we are doing HS, we can consider going! The boys don't have to be up at 7 am anymore. They seem to naturally wake up by 8am or so which is a lot easier. We can have a slower breakfast as well and get started with our work in a relaxed way.
I was looking through some of their school work the other day. I am much happier with what they are learning today in terms of English. For one thing, they are now surrounded by native English speakers on a more regular basis so they have both made great strides in the spoken language. In Belgium, I was their only constant native speaker and the same was true in Singapore until we joined Scouts and then moved into the HS world. So I see a big difference already in all areas that count. And yes, they are still doing math!
Must get the recipes emailed to our cooking instructor and make sure we have all the ingredients. Normally the boys put together the recipes and I will get them to read through them before we leave so we can talk about measurements etc. But I will let them sleep a bit longer today so their muscles can continue to repair. Poor Frunty, hobbling home. Boy, does he play hard!
Life in Singapore is so much fun now compared to the last few years and it is because we can compare! Lucky for us we had the option to change!
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Nonna visits from Canada
Nonna came to visit for two weeks! It was a pretty spontaneous decision after hearing the troubles of Frunty and we cannot thank her enough for all her love and support while she was here! Frunty needed a lot of TLC and Pit too. In fact, we miss contact with grandparents, aunt/uncles and cousins. I think as Frunty and Pit get older, they express more and more how much they would like to have more time with their loved ones so visits are really appreciated! Thanks, Nonna. While Nonna was here, we went to the Maritime Museum and Typhoon movie at Sentosa, a concert at the Esplanade and in between, spent almost a week on the Indonesian island of Bintan. Nonna babysat one night so Papa and I could go to the new Avengers movie and have pho noodles for dinner. Thanks again, Nonna! I will post photos of our time together soon. I have to go through all of them and choose the best which is a hard job! There are so many great ones but I want to narrow them down to the best 5. Wish me luck! We are so glad that Nonna got home safe and soundly. See you next time!
Gramps' Big Birthday
Dear Grampa,
Happy Birthday from all of us in Singapore! You said, "nevermind, don't worry about missing my birthday." But I am sad that we missed you on your special day. Glad you liked the cards we sent you in the mail! Hope you enjoyed your dinner with Gramma and had a nice celebration at a later date in Uxbridge. As per usual, we will toast you in person next time we are together. We wish you 170 more wonderful years! Lots of love, CKFD xoxox
Happy Birthday from all of us in Singapore! You said, "nevermind, don't worry about missing my birthday." But I am sad that we missed you on your special day. Glad you liked the cards we sent you in the mail! Hope you enjoyed your dinner with Gramma and had a nice celebration at a later date in Uxbridge. As per usual, we will toast you in person next time we are together. We wish you 170 more wonderful years! Lots of love, CKFD xoxox
Typos
I was looking through some old posts and found some typos. Like "admission" instead of "omission." They are embarrassing. My only excuse could be sleep-deprivation, couple with extreme heat and dehydration and boys yanking on my ankles! Well, please forgive me the typos. Thanks!
The Pan Pacific
After Friendship Day and the Shark Saver show, we stayed at the Pan Pacific for a big treat!! Good timing too because two days later, it closed for six months of renovation. Something we have learned in Singapore- even if the place looks beautiful, it has to be refurbished to attract people! We thought it was very nice when we stayed there for our 13th anniversary! That's why we came back to enjoy a special night with our boys. Room service, anyone!? The following day, Papa went to his scuba lesson and the boys and I went to Cirque Mother Africa at the Esplanade. Our first time in the durians!! It was quite an amazing show with great performances and beautiful music. They even performed one of my favourite Johnny Clegg's songs: "I call your name." (not the greatest video but you can hear the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diCyzQSkmyU&feature=related
Breakfast in bed at the Pan Pacific! Frunty could not wait to get into his bathrobe and head down to the pool! He lives life large! After our swim we got ready to check out and good timing too because the clouds started rolling in. The durians below are really the concert hall where we finally saw a concert after almost 3 years in Singapore! What have we been doing!? Math? Well, yes but everything else too! So we finally went and saw a great African show! And since that show have been back with Nonna and Papa for a children's casual concert with piano and the symphony!
We finished our amazing weekend at the Bedok Reservoir, having dinner as the sun set!
Breakfast in bed at the Pan Pacific! Frunty could not wait to get into his bathrobe and head down to the pool! He lives life large! After our swim we got ready to check out and good timing too because the clouds started rolling in. The durians below are really the concert hall where we finally saw a concert after almost 3 years in Singapore! What have we been doing!? Math? Well, yes but everything else too! So we finally went and saw a great African show! And since that show have been back with Nonna and Papa for a children's casual concert with piano and the symphony!
We finished our amazing weekend at the Bedok Reservoir, having dinner as the sun set!
Photos from Friendship Day at TPS- April 2012
Pit is at the very back, on the right hand side, second in. His class sang, "this is the way we wash our feet, wash our feet, wash our feet..." with Mrs. Ow, their form teacher for P1 Faith. Well done, Pit. You made a lot of hilarious faces! Unfortunately you were kind of blocked so I could not get a good snap shot but I'll never forget. I am so proud of you for participating when I know you "detest" those kind of things!!Friendship Day at TPS...our last day of school!
I did not know it at the time but Friendship Day in April was our last day at TPS. Looking back, it was a nice chance to celebrate with everyone and to enjoy our new friendships. Frunty helped me at the North American stall. We had games and crafts and good cheer. Pit performed a song with his class in the hall at the end of the day. Then we zipped off to Marina Bay Sands for our shark show! It was a busy day and I think that helped in making the good bye easier. I could feel it in my heart. It was time to say good bye to TPS. Happy Friendship Day!
Our Volunteer Work continues with: Shark Savers
The boys and I have always participated in volunteer work. When they were very small, I took them to the retirement home in Chant d'Oiseau to cheer up the grannies and granpies and to play with the cats and look at the acquarium. Unfortunately, smoking laws were such that we literally got smoked out and no longer visited. Instead we regularly collected nearly new items for a women and children's shelter in our neighbourhood and also asked for donations to prepare and deliver gift baskets to them for Christmas. The boys helped me in many small ways. Their tiny hands sorted toys and picked out some from their own collection to give to those less fortunate. From visiting different schools wherever we travel to bringing suitcases with clothing, books and games for village children and handing out cakes to them on their birthdays, we have always tried to encourage the idea of volunteer work. The boys doggysat too and are interested in helping at the SPCA! We have also done beach and park clean-ups and now that Frunty and Pit are in Scouts, they are very aware of performing their daily good deeds!
In Brussels, we bought Frunty a pair of red running shoes that looked like a pair of sharks on his feet when the fins were in the up position. Proceeds from these shoes went towards shark conservation. When we arrived in Singapore and noticed shark fin soup on different menus, we started boycotting those restaurants and other places around Asia. Pretty soon we became involved with Shark Savers, an organization which brings a voice to the sharks. Recently we performed a play at Marina Bay Sands during the 2012 Dive Expo! We invited some of our Scout friends to participate. It was a wonderful opportunity to help our beloved sharks and to make new friends from around the world, including Singapore. It also brought out a great deal of confidence in both our boys who chose to perform on stage with an audience. It was quite easy for Frunty. We were very impressed with Pit who is at times a bit more reserved. Well done, little guys! We are so proud of you in so many ways! Keep up the good volunteer work!
We performed a skit by children (and two adults) called Treasures of the Sea to show what happens to the ocean when there are no more sharks. The imbalance becomes chaotic as the groupers and other big fish kill the tropical fish. Frunty played a professional scuba diver with underwater camera. Pit played one of the fishermen who took the fins off the sharks. I was a snorkeller and one of our new friends, Nathaniel, was a greedy pirate who soon learned that there is more money to be found in allowing sharks to live than by killing them for shark fin soup. Scuba divers and snorkellers from around the world swim with sharks for fun. It is a win-win for everyone as they bring tourist money to areas and even local people can earn more from driving the boats compared to selling the fins for profit. In this way, we can all enjoy the treasures of the sea!
In Brussels, we bought Frunty a pair of red running shoes that looked like a pair of sharks on his feet when the fins were in the up position. Proceeds from these shoes went towards shark conservation. When we arrived in Singapore and noticed shark fin soup on different menus, we started boycotting those restaurants and other places around Asia. Pretty soon we became involved with Shark Savers, an organization which brings a voice to the sharks. Recently we performed a play at Marina Bay Sands during the 2012 Dive Expo! We invited some of our Scout friends to participate. It was a wonderful opportunity to help our beloved sharks and to make new friends from around the world, including Singapore. It also brought out a great deal of confidence in both our boys who chose to perform on stage with an audience. It was quite easy for Frunty. We were very impressed with Pit who is at times a bit more reserved. Well done, little guys! We are so proud of you in so many ways! Keep up the good volunteer work!
We performed a skit by children (and two adults) called Treasures of the Sea to show what happens to the ocean when there are no more sharks. The imbalance becomes chaotic as the groupers and other big fish kill the tropical fish. Frunty played a professional scuba diver with underwater camera. Pit played one of the fishermen who took the fins off the sharks. I was a snorkeller and one of our new friends, Nathaniel, was a greedy pirate who soon learned that there is more money to be found in allowing sharks to live than by killing them for shark fin soup. Scuba divers and snorkellers from around the world swim with sharks for fun. It is a win-win for everyone as they bring tourist money to areas and even local people can earn more from driving the boats compared to selling the fins for profit. In this way, we can all enjoy the treasures of the sea!
Happy Easter from Singapore- April 2012
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Our Learning Journey
Our learning journey includes:
*waking up at a decent hour and eating breakfast when we are hungry
*going to the library for new books and taking turns reading aloud to one another
*learning math and Mandarin in a fun way with Melissa
*exploring Singapore as we get to know new homeschoolers who live in different parts
*playing badminton on Tuesdays and not worrying if it goes a bit too late because there is ample time to do homework
*practising Karate more and having fun at Scouts
*having reasonable amounts of homework!
*working at our own pace and optimizing those times when we feel well to study the most and resting when we don't feel well
*enjoying the process because education is not a competition!
*waking up at a decent hour and eating breakfast when we are hungry
*going to the library for new books and taking turns reading aloud to one another
*learning math and Mandarin in a fun way with Melissa
*exploring Singapore as we get to know new homeschoolers who live in different parts
*playing badminton on Tuesdays and not worrying if it goes a bit too late because there is ample time to do homework
*practising Karate more and having fun at Scouts
*having reasonable amounts of homework!
*working at our own pace and optimizing those times when we feel well to study the most and resting when we don't feel well
*enjoying the process because education is not a competition!
