Sorry Uncle, do you know where ....

Some punk just called me Uncle! ... Uncle!! He isn't a teenager, more like a mid-twenties. Why can't he just call me a brother or a simple hello? Does adding a "Uncle" help with the question?

I was on my bicycle and waiting at the traffic junction when the punk came up to throw around this type casting term ... Uncle ... phffff. He wanted directions to the Arnold's fast food restaurant which was a couple of streets away. It took me a few seconds to respond that it was a few streets away ... I was stunned by his greeting.

Have I crossed over to the Uncle category? Well by age and fact that I have children makes me an uncle to my children's friends. But my eldest is only 3 years old. So why am I an uncle as well to someone 20 odd years older than OO. Arggghhh!

Are the winkles and creases on my forehead so pronounced now that they shout "Uncle!" to anyone that sets their eyes on me??! Gosh ... I really need to get to exercising.

"Uncle" .... *faint.

Playground Discovery Day

Gave OO a treat today and brought her to a tour of the 'new' playgrounds near the fringes of the town center. The first stop is this colourful newly built playground on top of a hill. OO has been asking me to bring her there for a few months.

I'm glad we came here, it's a whole lot of fun. OO especially likes the insect motif bouncy chairs. So we are calling this the ladybug playground.

We played for close to half an hour before I pulled her away to the bicycle to get to another playground.

This is just across the road from the ladybug playground but it is old and tired. We stayed maybe 5 minutes before we hop onto the bike for our next destination. I doubt we'll ever come back to this one again.

The third playground looked pretty new too. It's the only one around the area with a see-saw ... and OO loved it. And so naturally this has been nicknamed the see-saw playground.

I like that we were out early on the morning for some fresh air and good fun. I think I enjoyed it as much as OO does as well. Riding on the bike, going on an adventure, seeking fun and discovery ... all these remind me fondly of the days when I was like OO's age.

YY @ 6 months - Tummy Crawling

Just this week before his 6 months YY is starting to crawl forward on his tummy. We have to setup a barrier of the mattress around the living room area so he doesn't go onto the cold marble floor.

Jiejie has milk, I have my drumstick!

My favourite bath time, more so with Mama~!

I pout

Hahaha I cannot turn over~

Good Morning Everyone!!

Wefie with JieJie!

BedTime Stories

Over the past month, I've been reading bedtime stories to OO in an effort to wean her off video. She really likes the Timmy & Tammy series of books we received as a gift for a SG50 baby. She likes it so much I would be reading the same few every night and she wouldn't be the least bit bored. She would go to the end page and point out the ones she already has and tells me to buy others "next time". Hehehe.

And better yet, she seems to start to mimic the reading off memory. This is an important milestone to cultivate and make sure she takes strong interest in reading. So to help her build her interest, we've decided to purchase the full suite of Timmy & Tammy books from level 1s to 3s. That's a good $230 investment.

It just arrived today during lunch. I quickly laid them out to take a picture before hiding them in the study. We'll slowly ration them and give her a new book every week or so, as long as she is behaving. I can't wait to see the excitement in her eyes when she sees new ones.

Buddy Hoagies

Meimei has been asking me to come to Buddy Hoagies for some time now. It never occur to me to try it. Not sure why but it seems like a neighbourhood wannabe western food chain. Well after trying it today, it still gives me that vibe ... but ... oh my I love the food and the prices.

It's kinda Aston-ish but conveniently located just opposite our place. And the weekday lunch sets includes a soup and drink which is a steal no matter how you put it. A testament to the good deal is seeing many old uncle and aunties in the outlet. We have so many food options here that a store has to be dishing out some goodies to bring in these penny-pinching aunties.

I'll be back. For sure. And definitely bringing Dad and Mum here next time, I'm pretty certain they'll love the steak and mushroom onion sauce.

Happy Castle @ Century Square

We've been to Happy Castle at City Square Mall previously and have signed up for a 10 hours package. We didn't use it much and have like 8 hours left from the trip last May https://iamyourlittlerascal.blogspot.com/2017/05/cassia-seeds.html.

Each of the Happy Castle outlets are slightly different. We are at the century square outlet meant for older kids. So no cassia seeds for 'sand' play. That's ok, OO has outgrown that and would rather play in a real playground.

I love it too, there are many different stations so OO doesn't get bored quickly. And she gets to run around and burn her energy.

First Step To Crawling

YY is starting to push up his buttocks ... sure signs that he is going to crawl soon.

He'll get up on both knees and swing back and forth. I think he is training on the momentum of moving forward. Once he knows to lift his limps he will be off everywhere.

Zoo Trip Just For Water Play

It's been more than half a year since we were last at the zoo. Our membership is going to expire in October so the more we use it the more economical it is. Since OO seems to be off her cold spells recently and she has been a pretty good girl the past week, we decided to bring her to the zoo. Actually she has been talking about it since reading about the water play at the zoo from the Timmy and Tammy books.

We stopped by for some quick viewing of the animals before reaching the water play area. I originally wanted to grab a train so Meimei wouldn't be so tired with YY. But the pulley-wagon really helped with the walking. Well ... it didn't help with our walking but did a lot to get OO contained and moving along.

As usual she is all smiles during water play. This time though she wasn't interested in getting into the water, choosing instead to stand by the water cannons. Hmmm well I suppose its just as well ... we'll be going to the Gardens by The Bay for water play next time when the zoo membership expires. There's nothing she'll miss from the zoo's water play. Well ... its that till YY starts water play too hehe.

Studying Again And A New Mac To Go With It

About 2 months ago I received a e-newsletter from ISCA. Typically I would scan through in a second or two and hit the delete button. ISCA has always been 'slow' on the latest trends in business and accounting. My go-to were the ACCA newsletters and monthly magazines.

But this time it caught my eye with a buzz word, "Business Analytics". Reading further, it seems ISCA is offering a certification on Business Analytics ... and I was like woah! That's exactly up my alley, its what I'm doing now at work! Finally the accounting profession in Singapore is finally coming to its senses to embrace the next wave of technology.

So I attended the course preview at CPA house a month ago and was presently pleased to find that this certification is only offered to ISCA members. Great! Now I can take the course with like-minded accounting and finance folks. It also helps that I now qualify for mid-career enhanced subsidises hehehe.

So fast forward 2 months, I've signed up for the course for the coming term and classes start next week. I'm excited to be studying on topics relevant to my work as a Digital Project Manager. Definitely a far cry in terms of scope from the days of finance and accounting but I don't miss those days at all. I'm embracing this new pathway on digital well staying close to the accounting profession.

To 'commemorate' the new course, Meimei offered me the MacBook Air she won at her company's dinner and dance. Sweet :-) exactly the gear I need for the course.

I love how light the MacBook Air is. And even though they no longer update it ... it seems much faster than the old 2012 MacBook Pro I used to use for my MBA. 

The Sushi Bar @ Takashimaya

YeeYee brought us to The Sushi Bar @ Takashimaya to celebrate Nyaung's birthday. I wasn't expecting much when I heard the name. Sushi Bar ... an image of a small 2-man shop with a counter bar and the chef standing on the other side serving out simple fare.

Aburi Kaisen Chirashi Don

There was nothing simple about the food they serve. Everything we tried was delicate and seasoned to perfection.

Salmon Aburi Roll

The prices reflect the quality too. Not your typical meal at a Japanese restaurant like Sushi-teh or Itacho. Much as it was expensive, the place was still packed and the waiting queue was consistently filled.

Kaisen Chirashi Don

I'm pretty certain we'll be back again ... and again if they keep to this standard. Maybe not every weekend (a little too premium) but definitely this place will pop into mind as a prime choice for celebrating occasions.

Skinless Kopi Bun

I shared my kopi bun with OO, thinking she would eat the whole thing. But she bit off the kopi coating and left the rest of the bun untouched. She's not getting another till she learns to eat the whole bun!

Out Comes The Playpen Again

YY's starting to flip on his tummy constantly and with arms and limbs pushing and kicking. Soon he'll be crawling around the house. 

We decided to setup the playpen again as he is a 'eater'. Unlike OO, he puts everything and anything he can get his hands on into his mouth. We can't afford to have him go around the house biting everything.

He seems contended at the moment to play with the play-board. Not sure how long it'll last before he gets adventurous and wants to come out.

YY @ 5 months - Comfortable On Tummy

YY has learn to flip onto his tummy the last fortnight. He keeps doing it now and gives you the biggest smile when he succeeds. It's like a whole new world for him. Where it was just staring at the boring ceiling, there are so many things to watch now.

Pure joy on tummy

The classic standing hair in the mornings

Finally tasted the toes!

I can suck on my fist on tummy too

You cannot see my mouth in half the pictures

我是扁嘴大王

手手好好吃！

Courtesy of Meimei.

阳阳：姐姐你知道吗，手指原来好好吃的！

阳阳：后来我发现拳头更美味哦！

Floating Stones Playground

We are at a new playground today. OO spotted it on the way to the Orange playground so we made sure we come by on the next playground outing.

The unique fixture in this playground is the floating stones. It has other components like the monkey bars and tight rope but those are too difficult for a 3 year old.

I was initially apprehensive on whether OO can master the floating stones. It takes balance, patience and a touch of courage to reach out and go from pole to pole.

But she was able to grasp the skill of shifting on a stone and reaching out to another pole very quickly.

The only bit she needed help on is the last one since there isn't anything for her to reach out to get onto the platform. I gladly held out a arm for her to pull herself forward onto the platform.