Singapore Flyer

I survived the Singapore Flyer with 2 x 20-month old tots! We were in a dilemma that morning when we were supposed to bring the munchkins to Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. But the morning sky looked a little too gloomy for comfort, and it would mean we'll be stranded at the JBCG if we encounter a heavy downpour. So Di asked if we should change our plans and head elsewhere, like for example the Singapore Flyer? I was hesitant...

What if it rained as well? Di said we could shop around the area since there's a mall below the gigantic facility, or even head down to Suntec City should the weather let us down.

What if the munchkins get bored halfway through the ride and wants to get off? You know its totally impossible. And what if they turn cranky because of that? Won't that affect the other passengers on board the capsule? Again, Di reasoned we won't be "trapped' inside the capsule with too many people, considering it was a weekday. So if they do turn cranky? We pray for understanding from the other riders? There were so many "what if"s ringing in my head...

Anyway, conclusion, Di felt its a wiser choice to go to the Flyer, and so I just commit the day (and weather) to God and off we went. The rain stopped before our arrival, and the munchkins get a never clearer view of the skyline on board! We shared the capsule with another family of 6 from India. It was a great experience and nope, there were only laughter and smiles throughout the ride. What more can we ask for? There is no doubt the wisest among us all is --- the almighty GOD!

Here are 2 pix taken from the Flyer for viewing pleasure.
















"To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen" - Jude verse 25 NKJV

My First Niece

Please give a big hand to welcome Natasha, my first niece and my father's 3rd grandchild!!! Noticed how much she resembles En & Xuan in their first week?

Cousins! From left: En, Xuan and Nat.

Father's Day

I realised Di and I are not very into celebrating any occasions except birthdays and Christmas. We were not excited about Mother's or Father's Day, probably because our own parents didn't think much of these occasions either.

Anyway, its Father's Day today and we've got nothing planned. Just as I celebrated Mother's Day managing the kids & chores (cos it was Ya-Ya's off day), Di will stay at home to help babysit the munchkins while I head down to my sister's place later. Well, its not that I'm as evil as to intentionally make him work hard on Father's day. Our kiddos are down with cold/cough and my sister is doing her confinement, so I can't risk the girls infecting little Natasha, my first niece, who arrived last Saturday.

So I guess Mother's and Father's Day will continue to be quite boring until the munchkins are older? Or maybe it should continue to remain this "low profile" as a family tradition? After all, if you love your parents, the celebration should be an everyday event instead of an annual affair, isn't it? And you don't need throw elaborated luncheons/dinners to show your love for them, right?

On a separate note, I think I'd better remind En & Xuan in future that mommy & daddy won't mind a good lunch/dinner at a fine Japanese restaurant (note: must serve fresh, yummy sashimi) on any other days except Father's & Mother's Day. Hahaha... Just kidding!

Farewell 1... Welcome 2

Don't be mistaken. The kids are not turning 2 yet. Today is the last day of their 19-month baby-toddler journey. They will turn exactly 20 months old tomorrow.

So why is that different from any other day/month? Well, I kind of label toddlers who are age 20 months and above as BIG kids. Its the same logic as saying you're 19 years old, and everyone goes "Wow, so young!" And then the moment you hit the big 2, people start to see you as an adult. When you finally reach "attained" level 3 (age 30)... you can almost join the Senior Citizen's Club! Hahaha...

Anyway, I suspect by the time the munchkins hits 2 years of age, I'll feel very awkward telling others they are 24, 26, or 30 months old. We'll probably use "years" as an unit of measurement instead. So they'll be 2, followed by 2½, blah, blah, blah... After all, when my sister delivers her baby girl in a few weeks time (I'm so looking forward to that day!), En & Xuan will lose their "Baby" title in the household. So I'd better get them used to being labelled as big kids now. :)

"Jon & Kate Plus 8"

I'm madly in love with the Gosselin family! Huh? Goose... Who???

Nope, they are not my friends, neighbours or relatives. They are a family of 10 who resides in Central Pennsylvania and are the main cast of a reality TV series entitled "Jon & Kate Plus 8". Check out the series on SCV's channel 70 (Discovery Home & Health) at 5pm daily from Mon-Fri. Alternatively, find out more on www.sixgosselins.com

Why do I love them so? Because Kate is such an amazing woman who is humorous, totally "human"and yet capable of handling a pair of 7 year old twins PLUS a set of 3 year old sextuplets! Not forgetting the tonnes of laundry to be done and having to prepare 3 piping hot meals a day for the entire family.

Okie, yes, she does yell at her kids, sometimes she enters into "switch off" mode, and she may seemed overbearing in certain situations. BUT, I can totally understand those moments because I probably experience only a tenth of her stress daily, yet I feel like admitting myself to an asylum at times. Imagine how much love Kate harbours in her heart when managing her 8 kids. It takes an overflowing fountain of affection to remain "human" at the end of every day. And for that, I bet she prays at least 100 times more than I do a day.

Jon is equally adorable and witty. I see a little bit of him in Di and I'm proud of them both. Both are dedicated fathers who works hard to bring home the bacon, and still try to make time for the kids and family activities.

Well, a mommy of multiples from the SMH forum once said "GOD won't give you multiples unless He knows you CAN handle it". I'm beginning to agree with her. How else can you explain the presence of my very capable and cheerful maid. She must be GOD sent. Hahaha...

5290 Days

I knew her from the moment I was conceived,
And for the next 20 years where she had lived.

She was tall, fair and a little heavy on the bottom, a result of child bearing.
But her short, well set hairstyle never made her any less feminine.
She was young, yet strong as she braves the tides of life,
A great source of comfort, a wellspring of love I can't deny.
When she was laid to rest in the cold December rain,
I was sad, yet glad she's relieved of all the pain.

There'd be a birthday dinner thrown for her today, had she lived.
I wish for her to be here, for there are so many things she had missed.
She'd be delighted to help babysit En & Xuan;
She'd be walking them every evening, holding their hands.
There are a thousand and one thoughts I'd like to share with her;
I needed her to know how much I love and appreciate her.

Now I look forward to the day we meet in the heavenly places,
Till then, a very Happy 56th Birthday, my mommy, my dearest.

Born - 2 June 1952
Deceased - 8 December 1993
Missed - 5290 days
Remembered - always

The above short poem is written in remembrance of the most important woman of my life; who's fondly remembered till this date by my dad and her 4 princesses - Teng, ah bee, Airene and me.

Self Feed

Xuan fell asleep on our way home from the mall, so En was left to lunch with Ya Ya and myself once we settled down at home. Ya Ya fed her rice with potatoes, eggs and vegetables and she happily finished her meal. But just when we adults were about to start our fried bee hoon lunch, our little glutton walked over, did a QC inspection on our food, and decided she wants a share too. So we brought out her plastic bowl, a dessert fork and scoop a handful of bee hoon (without the chilli sauce) into it.

En insisted on feeding herself, very unusual for a toddler who has always been given the "princess" treatment. Anyway, self feeding is one of their KPIs I've listed on the routine chart for them, so I decided we'll just let her be.

It was a very amusing sight initially when the bee hoon simply won't remain on the fork by the time the cutlery reaches her mouth. Slowly, but steadily, she managed to put a strand into her mouth, then use her fingers on her left hand to push the noodle in! And she just keep getting better. By the time we were done with our lunch, our little princess had almost got everything in her bowl into her tummy, on her clothes and everywhere within 20cm radius of where she was, which is not too bad considering she's not seated on her high chair but standing at the coffee table.

Well, looks like its high time to get the bib (with a holding pocket) out for meal times. Not forgetting the picnic mat as well. Self feed training will start from today!!!

Holiday

At last, I confirmed and booked the air tickets for 21 Dec 08 - 5 Jan 09. Covers both Christmas and New Year season perfectly. Sounds like a great holiday package, isn't it? Well, it is. Except the passenger going on board the flight is our maid, Ya Ya, and not us.

Ya Ya's current contract with us is terminating in December. Time flies... Though I hate to admit life's going to be chaotic without her around for 2 weeks plus, I can understand her longing to be home since she hasn't seen her family for coming to 3 years. Being a mother myself, I too feel for her parents. They must miss her dearly.

So while Ya Ya have a good time celebrating the festive period back in Philippines, Di and I are going to toddler-sit the munchkins. Looks like we'll be lugging the munchkins around to parties and gatherings (provided Di muster the courage to do so! Hahaha...) and there'll be days where I'll be holding the fort alone because of Di's work commitment. I pray I'll survive those dreadful days! (God, help me!)

Now here comes the most exciting event of all. We'll be dressing the munchkins in their first sets of school uniform and sending them off to school at the start of the year! Di and I would probably have to hold each one of them by their hand, walk them into their classroom and watch them begin a new chapter of their lives. Hmmm... Just thinking about this makes me a little emotional...

Anyway, its just as well Ya Ya's only returning from her holiday on the 5th. Otherwise, we might conveniently get her, instead of Di, involved in the kiddos first day at school. It'll be really sad for Di to miss out another of the many "firsts " in En & Xuan's life. :)

Ironically, I think I'm starting to look forward to the end of the year! Hey, I can almost hear the jingle bells and taste the yummy log cakes already! Kekeke...

Routine

I never quite like a routine lifestyle. I prefer one that's more "exciting" with ad hoc "surprises". That's me. Hence, there's one aspect of SAHM-hood which I'll never get used to --- routines!

In the munchkins' first year, many mommies I knew often emphasize on the importance of a routine for their infants or toddlers. It never occur to me why it should be so and honestly, I couldn't be bothered to find out why. My usual response to these mommies would be "Why do you want to organise your life around your kid's schedule? It should be the other way round, isn't it?" As such, whenever we have an appointment and my girls are still napping when its time to go, I'd just put them in my arms and make our way there. Very often, they'd wake up by the time we hit the lift lobby of our flat. Sleepy but happy to be out of the house, they'd normally behave themselves, so I don't see the need for a routine then. Looking back, I count myself very blessed to have breezed through the first year. Or perhaps, I'm already suffering from dementia such that I cannot recall those difficult times in the first 12 months of motherhood. Kekeke... (Oops! I should review my earlier blogs before posting this! Hahaha...)

Over the past 2 months, I began to intensively read up on books on the toddler years because I find myself suffering burnouts and getting stuck in "no win" situation so very often with the munchkins. And guess what? Routine, routine, routine... This word kept appearing pages after pages in one of the books I read, until I decided to seriously give it a try. I have a chart placed on the door to the storage room, so everyone at home have a clear idea what activities are expected for the munchkins throughout the day. So far it was Di who find the routine particularly useful because he now knows exactly what to do for/with the girls on his off days. As for me, I'm trying my best to stick to it, though I still find myself deviating from it time and again. Hee! Old habits die hard!

But I must stressed that post implementation of the chart, the kiddos are napping longer and sleeping better lately. They also seemed a lot happier. It may not be directly due to the routine but its definitely because I can better manage them (and my own expectations) after so much reading. For a person who's not an avid reader, this is an achievement, you know! Hopefully my pea brain can retain those information or I may have to revisit those books again. Darn!

Career Switch

I've worked for approximately 13 years before I became a full time home maker. Throughout that decade, I did a few career switches and looking back now, I don't regret being in the various fields as those working experience definitely helped made me who I am today.

However, there is a particular field which I'd love to be in, but somehow that "ambition" was never materialised. I guess my circumstances never favoured that "ambition" through those years of career building, so the craving to be in that field was "lost in transit". Then today, yes, just this morning, I was reminded of that "ambition" again. You see, Di took the munchkins and Ya-Ya with him to his parents' place and I had time (and the entire house) to myself, so I started to "catch up" with my thoughts. I thought of what I'd love to do in my golden years, and that led me to rethink my plans for the coming year, which in turn brings to mind that desire for my long lost "ambition".

As usual, I don't think this reminder came as a coincidence. God must have prompted me for I have been wondering what I should or could do as a career come next year when the kiddos go to playgroup. Despite $$$ being very important to ensure our monthly income covers our expenditure, I selfishly hope I can still embark on a career which satisfies my self-actualisation needs even though they don't pay big bucks.

So my dear friends, pray with me for confirmation and assurance. As long as I know this is His plan for me, I would fearlessly take the step of faith and go forth. I need to know, and I know I will know... I just have to walk and wait upon the Lord. And that's the most challenging task for an impatient brat like me. So pleeeeeeease, pray with me and for me! Thanks!

"Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." - Psalm 27:14 (New Living Translation)

2nd Date with Di

Well, shortly after our recent date at Gelare, I decided to "invite" Di for lunch at Sakae Sushi (not the best but its the nearest!) since I didn't get him anything at all for his birthday. I was thinking we either have a quick lunch while the munchkins nap, or bring one of the twins along.

I SMSed Ling about my plans and to my surprise, she not only volunteered to babysit the girls, she asked if she could bring them (along with Ya-Ya) to the regional library. She had been wanting to get the girls there to explore the library cos she found the decor (a bunch of cute, colourful mushrooms) very attractive, especially for toddlers like En & Xuan.

So there you have it! A fabulous weekend plan for the family. Ling arrived at 10am to "pick" the 3 of them up then head straight for the library. After the "battalion" left, Di read the papers without any rascals pulling away the pages, while I updated my blog. We headed for Sakae Sushi at 11.30am to avoid the lunch crowd. Our craving for sashimi was finally satisfied at a total damage of $66+. We then spend the next hour doing grocery shopping - something we haven't done together in ages!

We would love to have more time to ourselves, but we had to head home. I had arranged a playdate with the mommy of another pair of twins that afternoon. Nevertheless, the 4 hours break was enough for me to feel like we're "newly weds" again. Hahaha... Sorry, kids! I'm not denying your existence. Both En & Xuan are my absolute darlings but daddy has to come first. After all, he's providing for all of us, so we had better treat him well. Kekeke...

So when's our next date, Di?

Elevator

Yesterday was "Gong Gong" day. Usually, both the munchkins would gladly follow him out for their "free & easy" session while Ya-Ya and I feast on the lunch Gong Gong bought for us. While I have my concerns about Gong Gong's decreasing agility (Come on, he's already 65!) which poses as a challenge since he had to handle 2 tots who has no sense of danger, Gong Gong had proven himself time and again he could manage them for a good 20 minutes at least.

But when I headed for the kitchen to wash my hands after I helped the munchkins put on their shoes, I heard my dad shouting for me frantically from the corridor. In my heart, I was thinking "Did you forget to bring something? Wet wipes? Biscuits? Do you have to shout this loud?" as I brisk-walked to the door.

There at the main door was Xuan, standing alone and looking pretty innocent. Then as I turn to the direction of the lift lobby, I could see Gong Gong shouting my name, staring at the floor indicator and pressing the elevator buttons almost at light speed. And you guessed it! En was nowhere to be found!!!

I rushed to the lift lobby immediately, leaving Ya-Ya to pick up Xuan and ran after me. Gong Gong tried to explain in details how he had left En at the lift lobby while running after Xuan who headed back to our house. And like most toddler horror stories go, he said "I merely looked away for a second and she was gone!".

Horror images started to form in my head and I had to take a deep breath before turning to look at Ya-Ya. I wanted to ask her to standby at the corridor with a phone. I was going to search for En via the stairs and Gong Gong would conduct his search via the elevator. Before I could even vocalise my hunting strategy, the elevator came back up to our floor since Gong Gong had pressed both the up/down buttons. Viola! The elevator door open and princess En walked out quietly, hugging her toddler's Bible close to her chest. Thank God!

She didn't cry. Neither was she freaked out by this incident. Gong Gong and I gave her a big hug to reassure the brave little one. But knowing how timid she'd always been, I thank God no one else had been using the elevator, hence the door did not open on any other floors. As for the brief moment En spent alone in the elevator, none of us will ever find out how she reacted or felt since she's not talking yet. One thing for sure, she must have been praying to God and was comforted by Him. For she walked into the elevator carrying the Bible but emerge hugging it. Praise God!

Here's to share with you a pix of her beloved Bible which comes with a little handle for her to lug around.

















Well, we've all been reminded once again that where toddlers are concerned, NEVER take your eyes off them, EVEN if its only for A SECOND. :)

"For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways." - Psalm 91:11 NKJV

Date with Di

Two nights ago, Di and I decided to go for a date after the munchkins went to bed. Its been a long time since we were able to sneak out on our own. And Di's heavy workload nowadays means we see less of each other cos I'd be in bed by the time he reaches home on some days.

So we had ice cream & smoothies at Gelare while sharing our job frustrations (well, motherhood is a considerably tough job, you know!), discuss possible solutions to the issues we face and realign our visions for our family's future. I strongly believe communication is the key to any relationship. And I'm not talking about any normal conversation. That's just exchanging of words. I'm referring to spending quality time together, listening to each other and sharing. Its nearly impossible for us to do that while the munchkins are awake. Most parents would feel the same, I guess. Kids, toddlers in particular, simply have that magical power to totally transform parents into absolute strangers unless they're napping or in bed at night. Kekeke...

Well, I'm just glad we managed to "catch up" with one another this time. And I certainly look forward to more of such dates. :)

Speech

Further to my previous post on the munchkins' effort to go independent, I must add that another factor which contributes to the daily frustration is their inability to communicate. Even Di attributed their recent emotional intensity to speech delay. This is probably the only milestone which they've yet to achieve at 18 months. While they are able to signal their needs by pointing and making sounds, or even say words like "come" (when they signal to pets or birds to come to them) or "up" as they climb the stairs, they are still generally babbling throughout the day. In most cases, it is En and Xuan who gets really upset when Ya-Ya and me couldn't deliver their needs and wants.

And although I'm quite OK with them not speaking or even calling me "mommy", I get really pissed off (forgive my language here but I seriously cannot help it) when others show their "concern" over this issue. Especially those "well meaning" neighbours who react in "great horror" as if I said my girls are dumb, or bragged endlessly about their grandchildren who started addressing them "po po" at 14 months. There are times when you feel like replying "Oh, your grandson started talking at 14 months? Does that make him a lawyer?" when I knew exactly the grandson she's referring to is that 16 month old brat yelling at her. But I've decided not to lower myself to their level cos there are so many issues we could argue about. And there are also nosy parkers who won't stop giving uninvited "tips" on how to make the munchkins talk or potty train them. You can imagine how many times I had to hold back remarks like "I can afford disposable diapers, you know? Not just those cheap diapers. We use MamyPoko Pull Up Pants!" @#$%^&*!!!

Okie, let's ignore those EQ-deficient folks and look at the brighter side. I must give my munchkins credit for having more or less achieved all the necessary milestones at 18 months. Their first tooth emerges at the 5th month, they master the act of rolling over at 4 months (En) & 4.5 months (Xuan), sit steadily without support when they turn 6 months, stand without support at 10 months (Xuan) and 11 months (En), followed by their first steps at 11 months (Xuan) and 12.5 months (En). Thereafter, they proceed to run, sorts simple objects by shapes, pick up tiny objects with thumb and index finger, negotiate the stairs, imitates demonstrations, scribbles, stack blocks, etc. Of late, they've also started to self feed using a spoon and even manage to take off an article of clothing (shorts or sleeveless tops).

So, look! So what if they can't talk like the 16 month old brat? At least I can preserve my sanity for a few more months till they start raining questions beginning with "Why, What, Who, When, Where and How" on me. Kekeke...

Terrible Twos?

I understand most toddlers go through the "terrible twos" phase, but it didn't occur to me I could be right in IT now even though the munchkins are just 18 months old. Every passing day gets more and more challenging for both the munchkins and me as they start to embark on their journey towards independence.

We get caught in so many NO WIN situation daily when the munchkins insist on being independent at performing tasks which they aren't adequately equipped with the skills to do it yet. Its a terrible vicious cycle which goes something like this:

• They want to play the 3-D shapes sorter.
• I quietly watch them do it, knowing they lack the skills to complete sorting all the shapes.
• They get frustrated at their failure to perform, they start to whine.
• I try to comfort them and offer my help.
• They get upset because I tried to help, so they begin to wail.
• I take a step back and watch again, offering only verbal instructions.
• They recognise their inadequacy and rage at me for not helping them.
• I try to demonstrate how the shapes should be realigned in order to slip it into the box.
• They kick and scream as if I had "desecrated' the pieces of shapes.
• I retreat to a corner, take a deep breathe and pray if necessary.
• They continue to wail.
• We take a 2-4 minutes time out.
• Things return to normal and they move on to another toy.
• The whole cycle starts again...

If this is just a prelude to the "terrible twos" stage, God help me! I cannot imagine being in the actual phase. Otherwise, I pray I'll become amnesic, just like the munchkins.

Allergic Rhinitis

Brought En to the doctor yesterday as she had been coughing at night and waking up so very often. I assumed it was, you know, just dry cough but the doctor suspect otherwise. He thinks she might have sensitive windpipe, and that upsets me. Well, if you think it just concerns En, think again... She has an identical twin who shares 100% genetic makeup as her. That's what upsets me further. Haiz...

Then, my heart sank as deep as the Titanic when the wordings "Allergic Rhinitis" (AR in short) appeared on her prescribed medication. These may seemed like any normal medical terms but to me, this is a term which had been labelled on my medical records since 1993. In fact, I was once condemned to the "chronic" family and was in specialist care for 6 years. To be told my munchkins (who bears no physical resemblance to me) and I have something as such in common is nothing to rejoice about.

So is it time to stop living in denial and face the music? They are only 18 months old and they have a long way ahead of them. I will not cease to work on improving their health and respiratory system, so they won't follow in my footsteps. Had my parents been more educated about AR when I was younger, my quality of life would have been a lot better. Am I blaming my parents now? NO. They did their best, as I would for my kids. So out I went to get bottles of Eucalyptus concentrate for the air revitalisor which I had newly relocated to their bedroom. Organic cold care chest rub is also on standby every night now. I will not hesitate to take any extra care to prevent the munchkins from being part of the AR herd.

On a separate note, I'm still thankful to God that there are things I could do in this case, and having come this far with my AR condition, I knew exactly what to do with my munchkins'. Praise the Lord they are not suffering from something which I had totally no knowledge about. And I still believe in miracles. After all, they are only 1.5 years old. There is hope for complete healing anytime. Never limit what God can do.

Extract from song "When You Believe" (chorus) :
There can be miracles when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who know what miracle you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe.

Birthday

Its Di's birthday today. Did we plan a romantic lunch/dinner together? Nope. It was a simple fare at Di's godparents' loft - a sumptuous feast followed by ice cream and yummy durian cake from Angie The Choice. Actually, we agreed to have the mini celebration there so the grandparents could play with kiddos. How romantic, right? Well, when you have 2 active, energised, excited toddlers, you'll be very thankful to just have a decent lunch in peace while the folks and maids entertain the munchkins.

Given a choice, I'd love to have dinner at cozy restaurants (without the kids), prep gifts and surprises for him on his birthday. I won't say its impossible to do so, but I (or rather we) wouldn't want to stress any babysitters, especially when it comes to the munchkins' bedtime. Its a little bit tricky to put them to bed if you don't know their bedtime preference. Hence, we rather stick to the safer options like what we had.

Nevertheless, I had always remind myself not to put the kids' needs above Di. Cos the day will come when the munchkins will marry the man of their dream (I'm "far sighted", aren't I? Hee...) and I may get stuck with a "stranger" if I don't get my priorities right now. Its a challenge, I must admit, and I'm still working on it. But I'm sure we'll be able to get things right in time to come. Perhaps next year, Di. Or maybe my birthday at the end of this year? Kekeke...

Running on Empty

My patience is running out and my "batteries" doesn't seemed to be working... Well, I know for sure the electricity (God's grace) hasn't been cut off but I suspect its hardware (my pea brain and burned-out heart) failure this time. What to do? The hardware's been put through a series of load tests (eg. sick/cranky toddlers, killing weather, Di working OT often, etc.) recently and its beginning to not respond to standard protocol...

Patience. A very simple 8-letter word. One which many of us are familiar with because God had extend His to us so very often. Why is it so challenging to do the same to others? A very profound question which I couldn't answer (as yet).

For now, the interim solution to this hardware failure episode is application of a new programme which requires loading Psalms 103 from the good old system known as the "Bible". Perhaps executing verse 8-9 thrice a day may do the job until a permanent solution is established?

"The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever" - Psalms 103:8-9

In addition, musical therapy (practising on the guitar) is expected to help as well. Therefore, so long! Gotta go tune that guitar first... Now where did I place the tuner? And where are my scores? @#$%^&!!!

Zoo

I actually thought I'd have a lot to write about our 2nd trip to the Singapore Zoo earlier today. Turned out everything went so smoothly, I don't know what to write! Strange...

Well, we left our home at 9:30am and spent about 4 hours in the zoo, including lunch. It was more fun to be there this time because the munchkins can better appreciate the animals and the surroundings. Despite the heat, Xuan is ever so thrill to spot an animal. En, on the other hand, is her usual oh-so-calm and composed, you wonder if she actually notice the animals. Its only when she let out that soft yet firm acknowledgement "um" that we knew she's aware of what all the excitement is about. Ha!

Both kiddos knocked out by 1:30pm just 5 minutes after we embarked on our return journey. They never fail to amaze me how fast they could go into "sleep mode" when we're on outings. Well, I'm contemplating becoming a member of "Friends of the Zoo"... What do you think?