Joash just received a new book from my bro & sis-in-law for his belated birthday present and it's AWESOME!

Called the Convertible Fire Engine, written by Amy Johnson,and published by Miles Kelly Publishing, the book is pretty large and consists of 6 panels + the cover. Each panel is a pretty tough and thick cardboard panel and they are connected by a little sliver of fabric to give it the flexibility to transform into a fire engine. 

The story is simple - about a fire engine that travels through town to put out a fire and the people / buildings they pass by on the way; but the book presents so many fun options to read and play. We opened it out into a playmat, and Joash immediately got his little die cast fire engine to travel the streets as we read the book (and continued playing after we finished the story :)). The play mat is a good size and can accommodate more cars, which means Josiah and Joanie can join in the fun too!

There's no seat though, so Joash is just sitting on the floor but you can always put in a little stool. I do like that there's an openable door (on Joash's right), which makes it easy to get in and out of the fire engine. ​
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And of course, you can still flip it like a book!

So the March hols are coming, and here's some things to check out in the East side, within a bus ride for the Kiddo Sngs cos we don't drive! (Will be adding to this list as the info becomes available...)

1) Parkway Parade

So Parkway Parade has been doing this Toy Swop for the past 3-4 years, and we always take this opportunity to contribute some of our still very good condition toys that the kids don't play with quite enough. Do spring clean and bring your pre-loved toys down to Parkway too! Also makes for an opportunity to help the kids count their blessings and be more socially aware. 

The carnival games booths using recycled materials sounds really fun too. Ideas in case I ever decide to do a carnival birthday for one of the other kids (still haven't done a post for Josiah's 6th birthday party in 2014...oops). And it's free, no minimum spend at the mall required. 

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2) Tampines Mall

There's gonna be a learning carnival at the Tampines Mall atrium and here's what we can look forward to! The Kiddo Sngs, sweet tooths all of them, are going to love decorating their own cupcake and eating it! (And they get to do an enjoyable, messy activity without mucking up the home...yay :))

The kids love LEGO too and will no doubt enjoy free play with Lego and carnival type games at the Lego Nexo Knights Event!

Captain London - Funniest Superhero in the World
12 to 15 Mar (Sat to Mon), 1pm, 4pm and 7pm
Anyone who wears his underwear on the outside has to be a little bit eccentric! In his oversize costume, Captain London is 250kgs of laughter!
Catch him this March as he brings European style of street theatre and magic to our stage.

Be A Mighty Sugar Hero
9 & 10 Mar (Wed & Thu), 7pm
Gather your powers to fully load colourful icing to decorate your very own cupcake.

Be A Green Finger Hero
11 & 15 Mar (Fri & Tue), 7pm
You can be a green finger hero by powering up the Mother Earth with a terrarium one at a time.

LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS Event
9 - 15 Mar 2016; 10am - 10pm; Tampines Mall Atrium, Level 1
Bring your kids to Tampines Mall Atrium for exciting LEGO play activities! Take part in exciting games, including: Whack-a-Monster; Fortrex Castle Shooting Game; Copy and Build; and Build and Snap, and receive a mini LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS intro pack. Also, keep a look out for the mascot appearance of Clay Moorington, the brave leader of the Nexo Knights!

For the superhero wannabes, Capitaland Malls also has various Batman VS Superman - Be the Hero at Capitaland Malls events. For Tampines Mall, you can redeem an exlusive Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice collectible with light-up features with a min spend of $180. And if you collect all 4 designs across the participating Capitaland Malls, you stand a chance to win a pair of air tickets to Hollywood in LA and an exclusive WB VIP studio tour! See more.

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3) OneKM mall

Hello Kitty descends upon OneKM Mall and this looks like one Joanie will still enjoy! Great for the younger kids!

​Hello Kitty & Friends Groovin’ Cruise @ OneKM Mall
Showtimes: Monday to Friday – 2pm & 7pm & Saturday and Sunday – 12:30pm, 4pm & 6pm | No shows on Wed

Climb on board Hello Kitty’s very own cruise ship and get ready to rock along a magical journey of imagination, and sail to a whole bunch of musical ports of call! Sing and dance along with Hello Kitty, Dear Daniel, My Melody and Bad Badtz Maru, accompanied amidst vibrant backdrop, props and decoration. Get up close and personal with these loveable show characters after their performance when you spend $30 at any retail outlet at OneKM.

4) Changi City Point

This one is a little further out for us, but the rough & tumble Kiddo Sngs will enjoy these activities! Josiah had so much fun at the Paragames carnival, I think he'll really enjoy this one too, especially the go kart and rock wall!

Sports Game Carnival
Step right up for a day of thrills and spills! The Sports Game Carnival is packed with fun, interactive activities for all ages, including an inflatable rock wall, battery go kart, water drum walker and sports-inspired game booths. Come and get your ticket to this festival of sports and get your adrenaline pumping! Simply spend $20*˜ and receive a ticket to enjoy the games/rides at the carnival. See more. 

5) Bedok Mall

More superhero fun happening at Bedok Mall for the March hols! So we really only 'discovered' Bedok Mall last year because Josiah's primary school was undergoing PRIME and the holding school was a stone's throw away from Bedok Mall. We love their selection of food, shops and the supermarket!  

Hero Craft Workshops 
16 – 22 March 2016, B2 Atrium, Weekdays: 5.30pm | Weekends: 12.30pm & 5.30pm
 
 - Mask Making (30mins)
   Mask up with your uniquely self-decorated eye mask.
 
 - Cape Making (30mins)
   Flex your creativity to design your very own hero cape.

Just need to spend $20 in a single receipt to participate in these cool workshops!

I put these kits together quite a while ago and they were really handy to carry around. Each kid has their own kit and different activities that they can do together or individually. I've found them to be really useful, especially for long dinners (buffets especially) and travel, and each bag can be packed with as many or as few activities as you think necessary.

The basic components
Each kit comprises a
- zipped B5 bag
- a set of crayons or colour pencils
- paper
- a metal tray
- activities packed in individual little bags

I actually magnetised a lot of the activities (hence including the metal tray as a base) because we know how clutzy kids can get. I reckoned this would save me some trouble from having to bend down and pick things up off the floor constantly. It's also better because things stay in place when you're on a bus, car or even a plane :)

From L to R
- magnetic memory game
- straw stringing
- magnetic robots / home building set
- embossing kit
- magnetic tangram

I cut adhesive magnetic sheets to shape and stuck them on the back of my wooden tangram set. For my younger kids, I printed out the design true to size so it is easier to match the pieces to the shape. For older kids, you can print a sheet of designs and challenge them to create the shapes.

Wooden tangram set from a neighbourhood party shop, adhesive magnetic sheet from Daiso.

The sky is the limit really with these little activity kits and more things get added when we get small toys that come with party packs. Each activity is individually bagged and all are kept in a drawer marked 'Travel', along with the travel kits, so it's easy to just grab and go each time and keep things fresh for the kids :)

Next on the list of activities to do - tic tac toe as Joash is asking me for that. Will probably also add adhesive whiteboard paper to the trays so they double up as a drawing surface!

So lucky Josiah, apart from having had a chance to participate in a football clinic with the Arsenal players, also had his 3s of fame on the news on Channel 5 and CNA. :) Recorded here for posterity!

Big thanks to the wonderful PR lady from Arsenal, Kate, who helped locate the photos taken and send them to me. 

Josiah with Santi Cazorla! 
(Photo taken with Per Metersacker's phone) 

So as most EPL loving people know, The Arsenal is coming to Singapore next week for the Barclays Asia Trophy and we've of course bought our tickets to watch that. To add to the excitement, the JSSL Arsenal Soccer School that Josiah has been training with since he was 3+ informed us about an opportunity for 4 JSSL kids to train with The Arsenal coaches & first team players! 


The interested kids were asked to submit a short write up of 80 words on why they want to train with The Arsenal and I can honestly say this is the only time I've seen Josiah so motivated to complete a piece of work/writing! 

So the fantastic news is....*drumroll*...Josiah has been selected for the training! He was so excited he almost missed his school bus today :P Can't wait for next Friday! (We would have let him skip school for this but since it's a public holiday, even better!) 

While at the gynae's...

Me: Would you like a sweet, Joash?

Joash: Yes

Me: (hands him a sweet)

       What must you say?

       (P.s. The expected reply is 'Thank you, Mama)

Joash: I like sweet!

Hmmm.....

How does a marriage endure for 8 years?

I believe our Father provided several reminders throughout the day.

It was raining cats and dogs as we made our way towards Penny University for a celebratory breakfast, which was only possible in the first place because a dear friend was kind enough to offer Josiah a lift to the Marine Parade Community Centre to attend his Robot Soccer workshop.

Along the way, we chanced upon a domestic helper who was getting drenched in the sudden downpour. Strangely, without any hesitation, we offered her shelter under our umbrella and walked her to her employer's condo.

In the evening, we were able to enjoy a lovely evening, dining as a couple (an all too rare occurrence since the Kiddo Sngs came on the scene) and being gloriously entertained by the Dim Sum Dollies only because my mother graciously agreed to mind the aforementioned Kiddo Sngs (despite being more than entitled to freedom from ever looking after children again after minding four Kiddo Sngs of her own for 36 years and counting).

So how does a marriage endure for 8 years and beyond?

Kindness, dear friends.

His kindness, her kindness, their kindness, your kindness.

Happy Anniversary, Joanne Lee

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An enduring memory for me was on the day my grandpa passed away, some 15 years ago. My grandma walked over to my mum just moments after we arrived at the Hospital, and said simply, her anguish plainly reflected on her face and in her voice, "Ah Kong boh liao." Four simple words that summed up her grief. It was the first thing that crossed my mind two years ago when the doctor emerged from the ER to inform us that my grandma had passed away. And so too last Monday. 

" Mr Lee Kuan Yew is no more." 

And yet when a person leaves us corporealy, is he or she really no more? We live our lives on this earth and hope in some way to leave a legacy when we depart. For many, that legacy is in our children and grandchildren. 

For this reason, I think many people of our generation who were born in relative comfort, myself included, felt a deep sense of grief at his passing. He was a man that I had never met, yet because of him, and those who fought alongside him, their actions and sacrifices, we are their legacy, the legacy of an independent and secure Singapore. 

Much has been said about the man, both good and bad, fair and unfair. I will not add my piece to it but just ask that we read critically and recognise that while we may see a speck of sawdust in someone else' eye, we seldom recognise the plank in our own, myself included. Too often we are only too happy to accept without thinking someone who voices a position that you agree with, and dismiss those who disagree. I personally think that there is no such thing as objective writing, even by academics. A mere presentation of facts is not a mere presentation of facts because choice, informed by the position that one holds, was exercised in the choosing of and interpretation of said facts.

What I will say is that I am thankful. 
I am thankful that I did not have to make the difficult choices but am able to enjoy the fruits of that labour. 
I am thankful to live in a country I love, a country that is at peace, where women and men are treated as equals, where I can worry (and complain) about the mundanes of life, and forget that what may sometimes be deemed as an entitlement is actually a privilege.
I am thankful that apart from economic success, I can, among other things, practise my religion freely, receive a good education, drink water straight from the tap and get around relatively easily even though we do not own a car and have 3 young kids. 
I am thankful that my children can run ahead of me and I don't have to worry unduly about their safety, that I can enjoy a park a few steps from my HDB block, that there are 4 to 5 different playgrounds (and the beach!) where my kids can play within a 5 min walk from home. 
I am thankful that God had provided Singapore with a first generation of passionate, visionary, capable and dedicated leaders who loved Singapore and were willing to fight so damn hard for our survival/success. 

No one owes us a living. They didn't then, they still don't now. Not individually, not as a nation. 

I am glad that we had a chance, as a family, to pay our respects at Parliment House and at the procession. And I hope that we and our children, never take for granted the peace, prosperity and progress that was built on the backs of our pioneers, my parents included.  

Marilah kita bersatu
Come, let us unite

Dengan semangat yang baru
In a new spirit

Semua kita berseru
Let our voices soar as one

Majulah Singapura!
Onward Singapore!

Love this video. Gives us a glimpse of Mr Lee's brilliance that did not dull with age. 

So the ambitious me really wanted to do a modified version of 'Superhero Me' with the kids from Josiah's K2 class, but between work, co-coordinating the K2 grad party, finalising holiday details and packing, there was simply no time to prep, come up with lesson plans, and figure out how to complete a 20+ hours programme in 4-5 hours. So I did this little superhero cape kit as Josiah's farewell present to his classmates instead. 

Hopefully, the kids will be inspired by the qualities of the superheroes (with the help of mum & dad) as they create their own capes! 

What is in the kit:

The finished Superhero Cape Kits 
(Capes for the girls are overwhelmingly pink due to a very limited selection of colours at Daiso :P)
Images of the superhero stick figures found online