Valentine's Day Homelearning

photo credit: http://www.theromantic.com

Valentine's day. A day which has no significance in my life. From long ago, during my dating days with the current hubs, I have been trained, albiet reluctantly, not to embrace this day with too much passion and hope. In fact, i think the only time he gave me a vday bouquet was when he was staying in the hostel and he patronised some chio girl who was going round the block selling flowers and chocolates. That in itself created a big hoo ha. No, not the chio babe! But the fact that hubby, then boyfriend, bought me a bouquet after 3 years of courtship. All his friends applauded for me! To him, Vday is just a gimmick for marketeers. Yes, who am i kidding? Of course I knew! I used to sell gifts during Vday for extra cash during my school days! After so many years, though I am still a hopeless romantic, I have come to terms that I do not have a very romantic husband. He would only retort by saying that everyday is Valentine's Day and that love is kept in the heart. Well, marriage isn't a walk in the park. You win some, you lose some. 

So, this Vday, instead on harping over the fact that I am not going to receive chocolates or flowers, I focused my energy on two other Adorable Valentines. The following activities were what I prepared for them. Avant Garde way of celebrating isn't it?

An attempt at starting on the Hundred Board. Let's see how long I can keep up with this. I basically had no idea what activity to do with this hence I "tekaned" (bullied) Big K by asking her to copy the numbers from 1 to 100! *Horrors! Tiger Mum alert! She patiently wrote every single number. Took her probably 20 minutes but I was able to get other stuff done meanwhile. 

This was more for Small K. He doesn't even know how to hold the pencil but I thought to let him try out this Vday themed activity.

Counting practise. To teach positioning.

Letter recognition. For Small K. I haven't quite officially started teaching him his ABCs, but at 18months (i think), he was already rattling A to Z (with prompts of course). He is now able to tell me which words start with the letter A. I was using phonics to teach him and went "air air aeroplane; air air apple; air air ant" and suddenly he said "air air Ah ma; air air Ah Gong!" haha.. It is nice that he has a sister whom I am trying to reinforce her phonics. He is able to pick up things here and there when I am teaching Big K. Honestly, the boy has been terribly neglected and I am amazed that he knows so much!

Hook these up with rings so that we are able to bring them out and whip it up during meal times. I know. My kids are weird. No iPads or iPhones during meal times.

Big K is able to count pretty well but I thought of just revising.

Sight words. Ok, honestly, I didn't get to complete this activity as her patience was waning with these long words. 

Teacher commented that Big K needed to expand her vocabulary and needed to be able to hear the sounds instead of memorising. So poor mommy has to be a little hardworking and create these for her. Incidentally, I used the picture chips to do a little linking memory activity with her as well. Something which I haven't done in a long while and was pleasantly surprised that she wasn't too bad at it still.

Big K has issues with left to right. In fact, I am a tad worried that some of her letters and numbers are mirror images. I have spoken to several parents and teachers of whom all told me that she is still young. Strangely she didn't exhibit such habit when younger and I thought all was good. So for reinforcement, The activity on Valentine Sort helped her to visualise what's left and what's right.

This activity was meant for Small K. But, as usual, Big K wanted a part in it and we ended up doing it together. :)

So much for being a Tiger mom. Ok, to be fair, the hubs and I did manage to sneek out for some good food and us time few days before Valentine's day, all thanks to Chinese New Year when the both of us  could take a breather from work.

We tried the newly opened Chop House at i12 Katong. This is under the Wooloomooloo Group. They are well known for their steaks. You might have heard of the Wooloomooloo Steakhouse at the Swissotel? The Chop house boasts a modern industrial decor which makes it a place ideal for a laid back and cosy gathering. The calamari was not outstanding in my opinion. It had a weird "urine" taste if you know what I mean. The portion was also too much for the both of us. The steak and fish however were pretty good and the sweet potato fries are a MUST TRY! The experience was good and I would definitely go back again.

We also managed to have some Thai at Nara Thai cuisine. I was dying to try it after a friend raved about it. It was good but I have tried better. My favourite has got to be the BBQ squid. The Tom Yum was quite different from those you could have in Thailand. Probably cooked too long with prawns, it was infused with a rich prawn taste. Something like a spicy sour prawn soup. The husband wasn't too impressed as he has been spoilt by the Thais from his frequent travels. Me, on the other hand, was very glad that I managed to finally satisfy my craving. It didn't come cheap though. For what we have ordered, the bill came up close to $100. 

So how did you spend your Valentine's Day? Do share with me. Did he get you a little gift of how did you hint him for that bouquet of roses? If you didn't have to, lucky you!!

Chinese New Year Homelearning

Things have been pretty slack on the homelearning front and I am missing out a lot on the golden period. Blame it on the vicious cycle of bugs! Despite doing a fairly good deal of work with Big K (in my opinion at least), this year i received some rather disturbing feedback with regards to Chinese. We started her on Chinese enrichment this year and after the second lesson, the teacher asked if we or the school had been getting her to write because her Chinese penmanship isn't up to mark. By the 3rd lesson, we again received feedback that Big K forgot the words that were taught to her the lesson before and we should revise with her. Oops! Ok, in all honesty, Mandarin isn't my forte and i have tasked it to the hubs who is great with Chinese History. But with his insane travels, teaching the kiddo is probably the last thing he would do. This jump from N2 to K1 is getting me a little tensed up. Yet, I can't do much now that I am living with the in-laws and have to ensure that things are tidy and done in a timely fashion. Rather hard to match the efficiency of the mil who gets up at 4am to do the laundry and keep the dishes *faint. In addition, it's really quite a challenge to be teaching both children. Kudos to those who homeschool more than one child!

Nevertheless, I stayed true to my resolution of being focused and here were the stuff we did the week leading to Chinese New Year. 

These are for teaching sizes. 

This activity was primarily for Small K to learn his colours. However, as usual, Big K wants a part in it. 

These were made together with Big K for her Chinese Show And Tell in school. Education these days  is really a whole new ball game!

Flashcards to introduce the various activities done during Chinese New Year. 

Hope you enjoyed the activities we have done! Have a "猴 seh" (translation: Good) year ahead!

Small K and Febrile Seizure

2016 really hasn't been looking too good. As much as I try to keep to my resolution of celebrating every victory each day no matter how small they are, there was really nothing much to cheer about over the weekend. 

Small K had been having the runs since Monday and after administering some diarrhoea meds, it still did not alleviate the problem. Then fever kicked in. But after a day, it subsided and I dismissed it as one of those "growing up" stages. The old folks always say that some fevers are a sign that the kid is going to grow taller. The fever however came back again on Friday and we decided to consult a paediatrician. Our regular PD was on leave and according to the one who was sitting in (a GP), he said that it was a case of stomach flu. That morning, Small K's fever was hovering around 37.4 degrees. That, to me was no fever. Everything went pretty fine throughout the day as his temperature was still at a manageable 38.5 degrees celsius when I was home to check on him at 6pm. The hubs and I decided to head out for dinner but at 7pm we received a call that his temperature escalated to 40.4 degrees and his eyeballs were rolling upwards (翻白眼). My throat constricted and my chest tightened. He was also shaking and the ever-chill hubs told my Mil that the boy was just feeling cold and shivering since he wasn't displaying stiffness. Hubs immediately asked our family members to administer Ibuprofen. However, I knew that deep down the hubs was like ants in a hot pan. We dashed out of the restaurant as if we had just robbed a bank and drove like an F1 driver to get the boy to the hospital. Thankfully we had yet to order our dinner. 

Along the way, I was googling on Febrile Seizure which I had previously read up on just to equip myself with information and was praying fervently that it wasn't a seizure that the boy just had. When  we arrived, I carried the limp boy who was burning like fire. Again, we zipped to the nearest hospital like Schumacher only to be greeted with a sign at the Emergency ward saying that the waiting time was estimated to be 2hours! 2HOURS? Are you mad! The husband had refused to go to the public hospital, KKH and opted for a private hospital because he didn't want to wait. I kicked up a fuss and got the boy checked in less than 10minutes. I was correct. It was Febrile Seizure. 

What is Febrile Seizure?

Febrile seizures are convulsions that occur in young children ages between 6 months to about 5 years old. The risk usually peaks during the second year of life. It is commonly accompanied with fever, cold or a ear infection. There are also some which are caused by post-immunisation. The fever, not the immunisation causes the seizure. In some cases, the child may not even have fever at the time of seizure but develop one a few hours later. About 40 percent of children who experience one febrile seizure will have a recurrence. Thanks a lot. Children at highest risk of recurrence are 

1. Those who had it younger than 18 months (Phew, we are 20mo!)
2. A family history of febrile seizures (I was just told by the mil that her whole kampong had it and that the hubs had two episodes when young. Thanks a lot of that late information! Why is Small K inheriting all the bad stuff from that side of the fam?)
3. A febrile seizure as the first sign of an illness
4. a relatively low temperature increases with their first seizure (ours was a pretty sudden spike so I guess that makes us lower risk?)

Fortunately, I was told that they are usually harmless and typically don't indicate an ongoing problem.  Simple seizures don't cause brain damage, mental retardation or learning disabilities. Febrile seizures also does not indicate epilepsy. If the seizure recur within 24hours, then, there is an increased risk of probably 10%. 

However, to be safe, we had Small K admitted in hospital for a check. Before diagnosing that it is a Febrile seizure, some doctors will perform tests to make sure it is not an underlying problem. For instance, meningitis, which is an infection of the membranes surround the brain. If a doctor suspects that, a spinal tap may be needed to check for signs of the infection in the cerebrospinal fluid. Say WHAT? It is the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Thankfully, we were spared. If there has been sever diarrhoea or vomitting, dehydration could be responsible for seizures. Likely to be our case as Small K hates taking in fluids except milk and soups. Our doctor performed a urine test to ensure that it wasn't UTI. Getting a urine sample was such a challenge! Eventually, a blood test was performed and results showed presence of bacteria which was the cause of his infection. White spots were also seen in his throat. I was initially worried that it was due to the fact that I was exposed to a student who had HFMD. I saw the kid 10 days after her symptoms and the irresponsible mother didn't want to confirm that it was HFMD and insisted that the child was well as she had returned to school. Long story short, it isn't HFMD for Small K's case. Thank God!

The symptoms

• Severe shaking or tightening of muscles
• jerking of arms and legs
• vomitting
• extreme sleepiness
• loss of consciousness
• breathing problems
• eyeballs rolling up

For Small K's case, he had his eyeballs rolled up and was unresponsive for a few minutes. That was enough to freak the family out. I am sure if I was present, I would have gone insane!

What to do during a Febrile Seizure?

1. Place him or her on a safe surface on his side, keeping the face to the side and lower arm under the head. This is to prevent the child from inhaling vomit if vomiting occurs.
2. If your child has anything in his mouth, remove it! Don't put anything in the child's mouth during a seizure! The old folks believe in putting a metal spoon in them for fear that they will bite their tongue. But experts urge not to do that as the teeth will be damaged. 
3. Take not of how long the episode was. Seek emergency care for seizure that lasts more than 10 minutes.
4. Stay calm. That is the most important thing though it is also the toughest thing to do!

The 3 days spent shuttling up and down to the hospital was beyond arduous. It had rendered me utterly exhausted. The sick Small K wanted mommy. The sticky Big K also wanted mommy. Who doesn't? As reluctant as I was, I had to bring along Big K to the hospital and await the MIL to come over to trick her home. Small K was beaming when the sister was around and the moment she left, he started throwing huge tantrums and was crying incessantly. He kept demanding to go "gai gai" i.e. take a walk. The Terrible twos seemed to be hitting us earlier than we know. On a few occasions, the boy was rolling on the floor! I don't recall Big K being this bad at two but then again, the post pregnancy brain could have caused me to wipe out unpleasant thoughts. I walked up and down the corridor to get him to sleep and was successful but the moment I entered the room and put him down, he wakes up screaming. I was extremely apologetic to the 6yo patient lying next to us. However, the boy was a superb sleeper and was able to nap for 3hours despite all the commotion. I tried carrying  Small K to sleep too but after 20minutes, he awoke. My back was breaking from all the carrying. The hubs did his part by doing the night shift while I headed home to get Big K to sleep. Right after she's sound asleep, I got stuff packed and headed back to the hospital again at midnight. Even though I was at home, I was worried. Worried that his temperature would go up again. Worried that he would be difficult and the hub would lose control and throw him down the window. Wild thoughts ran through my mind. The next day, I was once again entertaining both children in the hospital as the hub went home for a quick shower and a quick eye shut. Thankfully, the girl was very cooperative and did her Tangrams whilst I made her brother sleep. He slept and every 30mins I checked on him. No nurse came in to take his temperature. I am paying private fees and yet getting such service. Finally during the last stretch of his nap, I checked and felt that he was burning up. I carried him and thought that it could perhaps be due to my cold hands. Instinctively, I called for the nurse who went into a frenzy upon checking that his temperature was 40.4degrees celsius! Immediately, suppository was administered. The poor boy was screaming his lungs out. So because of this episode, we had to stay another night. This time, the hubs was trying to persuade Me to stay over. As much as I love the boy, I didn't think I was strong enough mentally and physically to weather the night hence gave a valid excuse that Big K wouldn't sleep if I wasn't around. Day 3, we woke up early and waited for the doctor's advice. Finally! He gave us the green light to be discharged! YIPEE! We have to be on antibiotics for his bad throat and monitor any fevers closely. But at least back home, we have more help. 

So, this is the story of Small K's first and hopefully last episode of Febrile Seizure! 

A melancholic start to 2016

I have been meaning to jot down my thoughts about 2015. That didn't happen. I was busy solo parenting since 11 December 2015 till over the New Year. The hubs came back for a week there after but is jetsetting again as I type. I have been meaning to jot down my resolutions for 2016. That didn't happen either. Ok, I'm not great at keeping them anyway. The reason is legit -- The kids fell ill right after Christmas and I myself collapsed on New Year's day itself. What a way to start the year eh?

So here I am, finally, trying to pen something down before the month is over and Chinese New Year makes its entrance. It hadn't been an easy 2015. We moved twice in a short span of 4 months and anyone who has moved before would know how torturous it is. To date, I'm still decluttering! To add oil to fuel, my parents had their big shift too. And after staying at a place for 20 years, you can imagine the massive amount of things they have amassed. Me, being their only child, had to help with everything, needless to say. The entire ordeal was painful for us all because Dad, who is very house proud was reluctant to sell his place. For over two years, from me being pregnant with Small K till Small K being almost 20 months old, I was involved in handling his housing matters. Dad used to work as a manager and he is used to ordering people around instead of doing things himself. To make matters worse, his dictative nature resulted i him having very few friends (if any at all) and even his siblings shun him. So the hubs and I had to help him with the documents and renovation. I was thankful that the hubs was very hands-on and patient with Dad. Between taking care of my kids, unpacking and packing, and the daily grindings of life, I really didn't have much patience for the old man. Empress Dowager wasn't easy either. She refused to sell after Dad was ready to accept an offer as she was worried that her health couldn't take the stress of the move. Yup, she would rather forsake a million-dollar deal. Long story short, I threw an ultimatum at them and things went through. Now, they have settled down in their new place. 

Moving into the new year, I thought that things should get a tad better. After all, what could go wrong? But dark clouds had to continue to loom over me. Everything went awry! The hubs surprised me with a new handphone specially couriered to me. Sadly, the screen cracked on the first day of use. No wait, I didn't even get to use! Then, the whole family fell prey to a nasty virus. Solo parenting with 2 young toddlers and living in a small place with 6 other people really didn't help. The virus kept circulating. Just when the source finally got well, and I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Small K developed a high fever overnight. He puked in the middle of the night on several occasions and at one point of time, i was changing the sheets twice in a night! I am now in fact, nursing my second round of bad throat and I haven't even started feasting on CNY goodies! At this point, I am terribly lacking in sleep, time and patience. 

Career wise, things haven't been going all too smoothly too. I have made a choice to cut things down a little in order to manage logistics for my kids in a better fashion. With the hubs always travelling, I can no longer do late nights as by the time I knock off and pick the kids, it would probably be 10+pm! With my current pool of clients, I would still be able to survive fairly decently. However, Lady Luck decided to play a cruel joke on me and several clients fell ill. This affected my income. It really doesn't help coz I am someone who shop a lot when I get stressed. With the advent of the Internet, shopping is really just a click away! 

I am really trying to move on to the next best thing and busy myself with stuff as that probably is the best thing to do in order to sieve out negative thoughts. However, fear has to crept back into my life. You see, 6 months ago, I did a pap smear. The result was not very favourable. Some kind of atypical cell was detected and i was categorised as a Class 2. Sounds scary right? Frightening thoughts raced through my mind. I googled heaps as all the nurse told me was to be back for a second assessment 6months later. I completely forgotten about it as I was too busy with life and plus Mr Google told me that it could be nothing and there was really nothing I could do about it. Today, as I stepped into the clinic, cold chills ran down my spine and my heart palpitated crazily. The gynae said that he was going to have me tested for cervical cancer. Wasn't I vaccinated?? Apparently, according to him, the vaccine only covers 70% so let's hope I'm within that 70% eh? I was a wreck the entire day; a bundle of nerves. This feeling of fear will continue to engulf me for a week till I get the test results. Meanwhile, life had to go on. I had to manage the situation and continue with work and together with Empress Dowager, visit my grandfather who suffered a transient stroke on Saturday. I had to represent my parents and do most of the visiting coz, well, Dad has serious bad blood with his Pops. Now if you have read my blog enough, you might have gotten the drift that Empress Dowager and I don't have the best relationship in the world. And she really tested my limits today. I confided in her about my fears for my health and the reply I gotten from her was that she was in a far worse situation the last two months coz she was worried that her Thyroid condition would recur. I told her that thyroid can be cured but she had to be on the winning side by saying that it would require a lot of money and lots of medicine to be taken. HUH! A wave of futile rage swept over me. Seriously why do I even bother talking to her?

With a heavy and bated breath, I really hope that things will see a turn. For one, I hope that everyone's health will be good this year. Am trying to make things a little simpler and minimalistic this year (haha, ok, go ahead, laugh at me!) So here are my resolutions for the year:

1. FOCUS! This applies to anything and everything!
2. Have more work-life balance. Be it with the family or socially. Life has been rather sad on the social front as the hub travels a lot and I haven't got much help in the evenings. Hence the onus of taking care of the kids falls on me. I am not expecting much honestly but it would be really nice if I get to go out and let my hair down once a month?
3. To celebrate little victories everyday. Shit happens on a daily basis and I will still rant but I will think more positively and appreciate the little things in life. 

photo credit: Pinterest

Xmas with spore mom bloggers 2015

This year has gone past exceptionally quick. No, seriously. With 2 kids and so many moves, I really don't have time to be jolly. This year's Christmas mood at home is exceptionally sad too. Why? Coz there's no Christmas tree! We have now shifted in to my MIL's new 4-room flat and for those of you who know, the new flats are pretty small. That plus 7 people squeezed in it. It's really no joke. Hence, the idea of a tree has got to go. Plus, Christmas is just another day for my in-laws. So when May invited us for #xmaswithsporemombloggers, we were literally jumping for joy! It's after all the first Xmas party which we were attending and hmmm let's see, possibly the Only Xmas party we will be attending? Sad much? Not that we are an unpopular family, but strangely this year, things have been rather quiet. Families with kids aren't keen in hosting. I can totally understand why and singles are out partying somewhere in the world. So yeah, perhaps the only other party which we might be having is with da family. 

When we arrived at her place, we were greeted by beautifully decorated place. We are all limited in time, energy and resources so I honestly do not know how this mommy does it! She seems to be creating magic all the time. With the swing of her wand, she transforms her place into winter wonderland sans snow. Big K wasn't quite in the mood initially. The long ride had put her into a siesta and she was a grouchy monster upon arrival. However, which monster could resist the pretty array of cookies? As soon as she saw the dessert table, she was in seventh heaven. All 15 children gobbled down these goodies from The Icing Room. It was definitely a big hit with the kids. I managed to take a bite off K's cookie and found it a tad sweet. But, I guess, since it's so pretty, plus it is Christmas, we could all indulge a little. 

If you are invited to a Xmas party and are unsure of what to bring along, the log cakes and cookies from BreadTalk might be a good idea. This year, they've created three flavours: The Enchanted Snow Cheese, Santa's Choco OverLog and Hazelnut Heaven. The winner must definitely be the Hazelnut Heaven which I believe is flying off the shelves! It's not too sweet and has a really nice aftertaste. And you know what? You can get them in slices too at $6.10 per pop! Clever, considering that some individuals may go back for more. The entire log cake cost $54.80 which is reasonably priced. Their cakes are only available for pre-order at any of their outlets 3 days in advance but you could always walk in and try your luck. In addition, they are running the following promotion:

• Purchase 2 Xmas sliced cakes for $9.80 (now till 25 Dec)
• Receive a 15% BreadTalk Christmas cake voucher with minimum $6 purchase (14 Dec - 25 Dec). Not tough to hit isn't it?
• UOB cardmembers get to enjoy 20% off any Christmas cakes and 6% SMAR$ rebate for the first 5000 transactions (from now till 25 Dec)

I really should go get myself a couple more cakes! I wish they could have it extended beyond 25 December!

C is for cookies. BreadTalk has rolled out two cookies this festive season: Choc & Salt as well as Butter Crisps. My choice: Choc & Salt. It's Choc & Salt! must I say more?

I've always been a sucker for crafts and anything pretty. For the last few parties I had, I DIYed several stuff. Silly me! Achievement aside, imagine the time and effort spent! We can now easily purchase them at an affordable price! May had her place tastefully decked with party deco from The Joy Troopers

Photo credits: http://mmlittlee.blogspot.sg

Look! There was even a Photo Booth set up!! Amazing or what?

A party booth without props would be an utter flop. These cute Xmas props were from Give Fun. Some interesting bites: We all know the meaning of 'give fun' in English, however, it has another meaning in Cantonese. Git Fan in Cantonese means to get married, 结婚. 

The party wouldn't be a success if the kids weren't entertained. Entertained they were, by Sherman of The Magic Empire. Big K has seen a couple of magic shows and by far, this one had gotten her talking none stop till today. Sherman certainly has a way with children. The children were really enthralled by his magically antics. Even Small K was dancing at the end of the session! Also, did you know,  he was the champion for the Magic Circle Close-up/ Parlour Competition and People's Magician Choice Award in 2007. 

Photo credits: http://mmlittlee.blogspot.sg

After the Magic show, it was time for some food. The people at Royal Catering had generously sponsored us hungry mommas and bubbas. The quality and portion was really up to mark. You know how it is with some catering where you might have to over cater coz their portions are just simply too pathetic? Well, you won't have such a problem with Royal Catering. We had their Santa's Party Set which works out to approximately $22 per pax. There were a total of 9 dishes so that's really value for money! I will definitely keep them in view for my next party especially since they are located near my place. I could save on the $30 delivery charges!

On with more fun. To keep the kids entertained, May had thoughtfully prepared Christmas Temporary  Tattoos from Little Playroom. Going at $3 per sheet of 3 tattoos, these Ducky Street Tattoos are crazily friendly on the wallet! Something which all party mommas would appreciate isn't it?

Big K loved it so much that she refused to take it off since last Friday. It has been 6 days now and she has been showing it off to all her friends and basically whenever anyone asks her about it, she would be beaming in pride as if she was wearing some kind of medallion. 

Photo credits: http://mmlittlee.blogspot.sg

The kids were also mesmerised by the collection of cars, slide and other toys. Big and Small K in particular loved this set of wheels. Who wouldn't?

Photo credits: http://mmlittlee.blogspot.sg

The princesses (and a prince) were also engaged in pretend play over in the playroom filled with cardboard creations. Yup, that crazy momma actually made those! You could read more here. I seriously think she feeds on batteries as her daily bites.

A Snowman Piñata! How apt! It was pouring when we conducted this activity at the patio but the rain didn't dampen their spirits. They were all hitting with all their might! Not easy for those little hands actually. 

Photo credits: http://mmlittlee.blogspot.sg

Photo credits: http://mmlittlee.blogspot.sg

Group shot with the bunch of amazing mummies. Top: Elizabeth, Mabel, Serene, May

Bottom: Florinda, Danessa, Estella, Janice, Natasha

Here's wishing everyone a blessed Christmas!!!

Directionless

As 2015 is drawing to an end, I'm once again filled with heaps of apprehension and fears. Fear for the uncertainty that 2016 holds. I am directionless and kindof feeling melancholic these days. Seeing so many people building on their talents and turning it into something lucrative makes me feel "what am i doing with my life?" I'm a Jack of all trades. That's who i am. Which is why most of the things done are probably standards that's good enough for me and only me. I get heaps of praises but somehow i don't materialize them into something bigger. It sometimes makes me feel like I'm a failure.

As i lay in bed each year this time, I'll reflect upon what big thing have i achieved. Well, this year it has gotto be moving house twice in a span of 3 months! More to come. But honestly, that's not a major feat right? I don't know. I'm lost. But I've to remind myself that I've to take small steps everyday and celebrate the little things which i succeed in doing everyday!

Wanderlust in Hong Kong Part 2 -- DISNEYLAND

AH HUH! We are here!

The place where dreams come true!

I've visited Hong Kong a couple of times but have never visited Disneyland before. Firstly, it's kind of out of the way from the city aka shopping and food. Secondly, what utility would two adults have at Disney. Or so I thought. Now with kids, there's more motivation. And, I realised, it is a place not only for kids, but the young at heart as well! To see all your childhood characters come to life before you is pretty amazing.

Crazy mama and her fetish over matchy matchy again! This family set of tees were bought from Taobao! Cheap and good!

DAY ONE:

We had to strategise as there wasn't much time. We were given 2 day passes with purchase of accommodation and with checking being at 2ish, I wasn't confident that we could conquer the entire land in a day. So, we took it slow on day one. We only had one goal on day one: To conquer the parades!

We entered the place and saw Mickey and Minnie having a photo session with their fans. We wanted to join the queue but the Flights of Fantasy Parade along Main Street was about to commence hence we skipped and went to get a good spot! I sat Small K on a dustbin as I busied myself with photo taking :P The gorgeous floats carried familiar Disney characters accompanied by acrobats. It was the first time the kids saw a parade of this scale and they were mighty impressed.

Photo credit: https://www.hongkongdisneyland.com/entertainment/festival-of-the-lion-king/

After being mesmerised by the parade, We decided to give our legs a break and hopped to Adventureland where we swung into jungle fun as Simba, Timon and other characters from The Lion King came to life in a musical extravaganza. The story of Simba, Nala and Scar was retold and favourite tune like Hakuna Matata was sung. The hubs and I totally enjoyed the air-conditioned break  (not that it was warm outside though) but more importantly, the break from walking around with two kids sans stroller. They were both hankering to be carried! Before the show started, however, Small K dozed off and before the climax, Big K lost the battle to the Zzzz monster as well. Yes, they both missed this spectacular performance -_-

Eating my hotdog as the two take a nap :P

By the time both Ks were awake, it was evening and the parade was almost starting. Again, we went slightly earlier to get a good "seat" People were already sitting by the sidewalk so we had to stand. Once again, the parade was nothing but spectacular. 

We settled dinner at Corner Cafe. Isn't it soo cute that the fruits and carrots are cut out in the shape of Mickey? I liked the Mushroom latte. It was yummy and Big K finished almost the entire thing. The mains were well, nothing out of the ordinary. Decent and expensive. But, we had to settle dinner there as we wanted to catch the fireworks at 9pm at Main Street. However, I was stuck in the cafe with Small K coz they weren't done with dinner and I had to look after stuff.

Photo credit: https://www.hongkongdisneyland.com

THIS, was the splendour above Sleeping Beauty Castle where breathtaking light sparkled to classic Disney music. Sigh, I hope i've the chance to go back again! Years before when I was in Disneyland USA, I too, missed the fireworks. Now, years later, I again, missed the fireworks. Geez.

DAY TWO:

We woke up bright and early and decided to venture out for breakfast. We took the Disney train out and headed towards Jordan coz Mommy decided that we should try out the Australia Dairy Company which so many have raved about. 

My verdict: We ordered the staples. The macaroni was nice. But honestly, it's not tough to replicate. Just get yourself a can of campbell soup. The scrambled eggs were also nice, but again, not difficult to replicate i think. The steamed milk and toast were blah...I prefer Yakun anytime. Conclusion: I wouldn't spend my time queuing up for this again. If there isn't a queue perhaps I would. It is simply overhyped. The string of patrons were all tourists. Service was terrible. I am aware that they don't exactly speak nicely to you are these places but seriously, what's up with the attitude? I didn't have much issues with attitude at other tea places. But, if you insist on going, here's the address:

G/F, 47-49 Parkes Street, Jordan 佐敦白加士街47-49號地下

It is a short walk from the MTR station. Very convenient.

Next to it is the famed Mak noodles. If it were opened when we were there, I'd probably would have a bowl to try. Oh well, I guess I can always go back to Singapore to try as they've just opened a branch here!

Back to Disneyland! There's a total of four lands in the park: Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Toy Story land and Fantasy Land. I wasn't ambitious and checked out all the rides which Big and Small K could take and went straight to those. 

Sword in the stone

First Stop definitely had to be Fantasy Land. The carousel was Big K's all time favourite so we queued for it. The waiting time wasn't too painful for this ride. I think we waited for probably 15mins or so.

Next, Dumbo, the Flying Elephant. Waiting time was again approximately 15 to 20minutes. I was glad that Small K was able to take this ride as well. He seemed unimpressed and oblivious to the height though. My brave boy!

This is one of the rides which you can obtain a Fast Pass. The other ride which you could obtain a fast pass was Space Mountain. This is how it works: 

1. See if there is a FASTPASS distribution sign near the entrance of the attraction you want to ride. You can also check the Guide Map.
2. Look at the return time displayed on the sign.
   • If the return time works for you, insert your valid park admission ticket into the FASTPASS machine.
   • The machine will generate a FASTPASS ticket printed with your return time.
   • Return to the FASTPASS return entrance at your return time, show your FASTPASS ticket to the Cast Member at the attraction and enjoy a minimal wait in line.

We didn't get one. Coz it started to rain and we decided to queue to take shelter. Thankfully the kids didn't fuss throughout the terribly long waiting time. In fact, Small K fell asleep midway.

You could spin round and round in giant teacups at the Mad Hatter Teacups. We didn't coz the hubs and I agreed that we would probably feel faint and nauseous thereafter.

The rain didn't subside hence we had to look for something indoor again. We headed to It's a Small World and surprisingly there wasn't a queue! Here's a tip for you: Go when the Flights of Fantasy Parade is in session. Everyone's gathered over at the parade so this section was practically empty!

Once out, we decided to venture to Tomorrowland. What a bummer it was still pouring.

It was rather tough to keep the kids entertained whilst seeking shelter coz there wasn't much to be entertained with. The packet of Chocolate milk was their only source of entertainment! Big K wanted to go for rides however the rain was a hindrance. We did eventually go for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and Autopia. For Autopia, you have to be 81cm or taller. Hence, I was tasked to look after Small K whilst daddy and Big K went for their romantic drive. By the time they got down, they were pretty wet. I only brought along a small umbrella and didn't pack any rainy day wears. 

It was getting late and due to the rain, we didn't get to check out the rest of the lands. Well, this is definitely an excuse to visit the place again! The finale of our trip for Big K must have been the opportunity to see Elsa and Anna in person! A short performance with favourite tunes from the show Frozen was staged along Main Street. When Elsa glided onto stage, everyone cheered and sang along to the tune of "Let it go" . Big K was singing non stop for the next couple of days. No prizes for guessing who is her favourite character!

Good things had to come to an end and by 8pm, we were starving and had to bid this magical place goodbye. Before we left, Big K insisted on taking a photo of Donald. She was reluctant to leave, not the park, but not to leave Donald. I don't know what is it with her obsession with Donald and his boat sinking. She couldn't quite get over it.

We took the train out and settled dinner at a Chinese restaurant at Tung Chung Outlet mall. The food was YUMZ especially the BBQ pork and hairy crabs! The crabs were cheap compared to Singapore! I think 3 of those cost us only SGD40. In Singapore, 2 of these would have cost approximately SGD80!

We stayed at the Hollywood hotel and loved it!

The rooms were nice and the grounds were spacious. 

It is very important to prepare stuff for the kids. Keeping them entertained in the room is a must to maintain sanity. Sorry, mummy here doesn't turn to the TV unless necessary.

Day Three:

Departure day. We explored the grounds of Hollywood Hotel and let the kids play at the playground. We needed to expanse their energy before our flight home. Prior to our take out, we had lunch and I was torn between having Dim Sum and the Condensed milk bun from Tsui Wah. In the end, I settled for Dim Sum. Check out the amount of food we ordered! This was just for 2 adults and 2 toddlers! During our meal, Small K was so tired he fell asleep. Check out the video above. It's hilarious!

i realised that all this while in Hong Kong, we didn't had much soup. The Cantonese brew a pot of mean soup and I was really glad that they were serving Chinese Kudu Root Soup that day! It was so delicious I had two servings! The flight back was a peaceful one. In fact, I was very proud of my children. I was seated with the both of them whilst the hub sat right behind. I think it was his plot to have such a seating arrangement! Anyway, Big K fell asleep shortly after watching the silly show Minions whilst Small K fell asleep a while later amidst all the screams from our neighbours. The hubs and I didn't have to take turns to have our meals and I was even able to watch a movie, have a cup of Baileys and savour my Haagen Dazs ice cream! ahhhh Bliss. Big K slept all the way, missing her meal entirely and Small K was simply baffled as to why the other two toddlers next to us were wailing non stop. With such great success, I think we should start planning for our next trip!

Note to self: This trip was made when Small K was 18 months and Big K just turned 4.