Aye aye, captain!

Look at what Jake and the Neverland Pirates did to my son and daughter.

Now everytime when he don that cap, he'll say, "Aye aye, captain!"

When I reprimand him or give him an instruction, he'll reply, "Aye aye, captain!" Cheeky fella! A little pirate in the making? I hope not!

Elizabeth singing one of the songs from Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

*Jake and the Neverland Pirates is a programme on Disney Junior on Astro Channel 613. (I'm not sponsored by Astro or Disney Junior :P)

Darn..now that song is in my head..oh boy!

Don't touch the ground because it's hot hot lava

You can't even go on your tip tip tippy toes..

Jungle Trekking in Gasing Hill

Finally we did it. Finally we braved ourselves to go jungle trekking and we did it in Gasing Hill. I didn't actually plan for it but it just happened. I suggested it and suddenly my hubby was game for it. Just imagine I didn't even google up about the place and it's our first time there. So we didn't really know what to expect. We just heard about the place and knew about the location but we didn't know what it would be like. Whether it is a good place to hike for beginners or whether it's a appropriate place for toddlers to hike. We weren't fully equipped and prepared too. Just went in with some snacks for the children.

It was a good day to hike actually. It was not sunny but the weather was quite threatening as if it would rain heavily soon. When we arrive it was drizzling but not to worry. Walking under those trees, we can't feel whether it's drizzling anyway. The air was refreshing and although the weather was threatening, there were still people entering and exiting the jungle. I'm sure some of them are regulars there and some of them are first timers like us. The earlier paths were rather easy and level. The children could go through it with ease. They were so psyched up at the beginning thinking they were going to a 'jungle park'. Thanks to mummy who embedded that idea into their heads. They were so looking forward to 'jungle park'. Haha. Anyway, they were good sport.

Then the horror starts when we didn't know how to stop and didn't time ourselves. We went quite deep in and couldn't find our way out. We started to panic a little but still maintaining our cool because we didn't want the children to panic too. By that time, the paths are beginning to get tougher too. Once in a while, the children will cry when they fall or their hands touched the muddy ground. But I encouraged them and told them that it's ok and didn't want to dwell on the matter for too long. By the end of the journey, they were already so lethargic and started to get cranky. Fortunately, the snacks I took along managed to divert their attention a little bit and gave them a little bit more energy. The people in the jungle were getting less and when we finally managed to meet one, we quickly asked the way out. But guess what? That hiker came in from another way so she the direction she pointed led us to another totally different exit. We exited at a place near Kenny Hills or Pantai Hillpark, I think. We had to walk for a bit and stopped a taxi to bring us back to Gasing Hill.

It was really an experience for us first timers and we have learnt our lesson. It was a good beginning but an ending that went awry. I think the children forgot about the beginning but only remembered the ending that when I asked them whether they would like to go hiking again, they gave me a resounding NO. LOL. Nevertheless, I will never give up. Both hubby and I enjoyed the hike. I hope in time the children will start enjoying it too. Just that the 'lost' part gave us a bit of a panic and phobia. Still, the children deserve many praises and kisses for being such a sport and I considered them 'angels' already for first timers.

What we have learnt from this experience is to be fully prepared with equipment, snacks and water. And also to time ourselves not to get carried away. Since we are with small children, I think a 30 minute hike would be enough then we have to start turning back. It was good exercise though. The next time around, I wonder the word 'jungle park' will still make the children excited? Maybe I've to look for another word to entice them. LOL.

A picture of the entrance. This picture is not mine. I found it through another blog.

It's hard to get a clear picture while walking and I took the shots all from my mobile phone as I didn't bring my camera with me.

They were so brave at the beginning, walking on their own, following the leader..:)

My girl in walking in front. That says a lot coming from a very timid girl.

The paths were getting more tricky as you go in deeper.

CNY 2012

CNY passed in a flash and although it isn't the same as last year and a less merry one, there were enjoyable moments too. And I'm grateful for that. I'm sure my father will be smiling down upon us when he sees that we are happy too. So I'm going to squeeze everything in a post to recap on the happenings this CNY. 

CNY Day 1 - The children donned their new clothes. The girls had new dresses specially tailored by my MIL. The children had fun playing fully utilising every waking hour of the day! Joseph enjoyed sitting in a box.

CNY Day 2 - Hubby's mission accomplished and that is to take a family portrait before leaving his hometown, Seremban. My mission accomplished too because I managed to meet my best friend before she returns to Singapore.

 

 

CNY Day 3 - Discovered a bird's egg in a nest among the branches of my mum's plant. It looks so cute and fragile. Witnessed a lion dance in Mahkota Parade, a shopping mall in Malacca (my hometown).

CNY Day 4 - 'Loh sang' with my family. Can't get enough of the salmon! Yummy.

CNY Day 5 - The kids had an enjoyable time at the beach.

CNY Day 13 - It's 'Lap Chun', the first day of Spring in the Chinese lunar calendar. Seriously, it's the first time I've heard of the egg balancing thing on 'Lap Chun'. My babysitter invited us over to her house to let my kids have a look at those eggs. I joined in the fun and did the egg balancing act too. Ta da! I succeeded on my 2nd attempt. The egg most in front and the zoomed in picture of the egg is mine. Not bad eh? I can balance the egg on the sharper end instead of the flatter end. :D

CNY Day 14 - Potluck gathering with old friends. I'm in charge of bringing 'yee sang' however it's not in the picture. The children created quite a racket, playing and enjoying themselves to the max until Elizabeth didn't want to go home for she didn't want to be apart from her friend.

CNY Day 15 - Back to Seremban to celebrate 'Chap Goh Meh' and Han Yang's birthday. The four cousins so excited over the cake that my MIL baked. They were also excited over the candles and sang the birthday song loudly.  

That pretty much sums up my CNY. Hope yours was a good one.

A Video To Make Me Smile 2

Ever since I got back to work after the CNY break, I was having 'withdrawal symptoms' and that's the reason why away from the blogging scene for the past two weeks. Not to mention the long weekend we just had. Tell me, how to be not 'lost' for a while with the holiday after holiday. Hehe.

Well, since my fingers are still in lazy mode, I'll share this video I took a few days before CNY when I was back in my hubby's hometown, Seremban. Maybe the kids were bored of waiting while we did our last minute CNY shopping, so they created their own entertainment and I took the chance to catch them on video.

Kids Rule Our Weekends!

Once you have children and once they can talk well like my dearest daughter Elizabeth, they start to request or demand for stuff. Even the little one, Joseph is catching up and learning from his sister. As much as I do appreciate certain requests because sometimes I've also run out of ideas on what activity to do during the weekend but there are times when you have planned out an activity and she's not game for it. Or you're just too tired and about to lift your legs up and then there comes the dreaded request or demand. I don't know about you, I'm not saying they're like that every weekend but if you know what I'm saying then let's high five! LOL.

Here are a few scenarios of how my kids ruled my weekends:

1. I'm happily doing some household chores, little brother is asleep and big sister will suddenly come up to me and say she wants to do some art. She will bug me until I stop what I'm doing and bring out all her art materials.

2. The kids were watching the telly and suddenly papa wants to switch channels or switch off the telly because he said they've watched enough, Elizabeth will whine and Joseph will start a screaming fit. (this same case happens to mummy also). What excuse sometimes works for me is I'll say to Joseph that the TV is getting hot and once it's too hot it will explode and his face will become black because of the explotion. He'll relent sometimes..:P

3. You just came home from a tiring weekly grocery shopping outing with the family and have just put down the groceries when your girl starts asking whether she can go swimming or not. She won't take no or later for an answer. Don't they get tired?

4. I just finished reading to the kids their bedtime stories and was about to bring them to sleep (so happy to finaly get some me-time) when suddenly Elizabeth said she haven't played the piano. I should be happy that she is keen to play the piano but it clearly wasn't the right time.

5. Since morning, the kids have been chanting, " I want to go to the park, I want to go to the park..." and they stopped in the evening when we finally bring them to the park.

Have a great weekend and for those who are travelling back to hometowns for chinese new year, do drive safely. Enjoy the festivity and happy holidays!

Here's wishing those who celebrate, Gong Xi Fa Cai and may you all have prosperity in this year of the Dragon.

CNY Deco In Mid Valley Megamall and The Gardens Mall

Last Sunday, we went to Mid Valley Megamall for some CNY shopping. So I took the chance to take some picture of their CNY decorations for your viewing pleasure. The decorations were beautiful for me but still I felt it was not grand enough. Grand enough if you use it for house decoration but not so for a mall. That's just my opinion maybe others have a different say.

CNY deco in Mid Valley Megamall's Centre Court.



Another angle



The CNY deco at the North Court of Mid Valley Megamall

  

A closer look of the deco. Looks like a huge lantern with tiny lanterns within.

Then we hopped over to The Gardens Mall too since it's just beside Mid Valley Megamall. If it was not because we wanted to borrow their child stroller, we might not even drop by over there. The child stroller in Mid Valley Megamall were all taken up. Wasted because I actually prefer the stroller in Mid Valley Megamall. In case you parents have forgotten to bring your own stroller out for shopping(of all the things we have forgotten!), a tiny review her of the two mall's stroller. I prefer the ones from Mid Valley Megamall because:

1. it's new(they just got new strollers I think!)

2. it's more comfortable

3. more sturdy and safer

4. it has a big under-seat storage basket for you to put your baby bag and shopping bags

5. it has a hook to hang your shopping bags

6. it has a footrest

The best picture I can find of the Mid Valley Megamall's stroller.

The ones from The Gardens Mall are:

1. not new, it has been there for quite a while. However, it doesn't look dirty

2. not so comfortable

3. not sturdy because it fell backwards before if there are shopping bags hanging and if the child is not sitting on the stroller

4. the under-seat storage basket is small and I had to squeeze the baby bag in it

5. it doesn't have a hook to hang your shopping bags. I had to hang them at their handle

6. it doesn't have a footrest so Joseph’s legs were left dangling.

The Gardens Mall stroller.

Ok sorry for the diversion. Now back to the CNY deco in The Gardens Mall. The decorations are simple and nice but nothing to go ooh and aah about it. They have some props around as if to make us feel at home. It would be nice if those props are really in a home. It would be a nicely decorated home ready for CNY. Haha.
  



The CNY deco in The Gardens Mall



A view from top of the props along the shops. They are all different but I'm lazy to take picture of each prop.



The CNY deco at the Isetan side.



Elizabeth posing in front of a prop. They did put effort in decorating huh? How nice if my house can be decorated like this.



Elizabeth with another prop. That room panel divider is beautiful isn't it?

So between the two, which mall fare better in their CNY decoration?  

When your child vomits

In the previous post, I've mentioned that Elizabeth was down with vomiting and diarrhoea. She is fine now and already started attending preschool this week already. So far, no crying drama from her and she is going through preschool very well. After all, the teacher replied that she's a big girl already, she's six years old this year(actually she just turned five last November :P) when I asked the teacher how did she fare on her first day in preschool. I'll be crossing my fingers that there'll be no crying drama this year because I've endured her crying dramas for two years in preschool already!

I want to also share on what to do when your child vomits from my experience and advise from my paediatrician. When your child starts to vomit a few times and keeps rejecting any food he/she has eaten, of course you'll have to take your child to see a doctor. Take the medication he has given and besides that, the doctor advised that I don't have to give Elizabeth anything to eat at least for half a day. Your child will be ok as long as there's water. Give your child 2 tablespoons of warm water every 10 minutes to prevent from dehydration and replenish lost fluids from the body. Elizabeth had it very bad that she even vomited out that 2 tablespoons of warm water a few seconds or minutes after I fed her. But I still have to continue giving her. Then after half a day if your child has stopped vomiting, you can start giving him/her plain porridge or soy-based or lactose-free milk. Once your child starts having diarrhoea that is actually good news because it means that the vomiting bouts are over and the diarrhoea helps to get rid of the virus in the body.

With that said, I hope none of this happen to your child but just hope that what I share could be of use if it should happen. Sharing is caring they say.

Some random pictures to end the post. Have a nice day!

My lil' dahlings watching television and sitting so close together at the corner of the sofa.

My hubby was teaching Elizabeth to count coins but Joseph arranging the coins instead.

Elizabeth learning to count the coins.