New Bookshelf

I've been talking about getting a bookshelf for the longest time as the children's book are strewn all over the TV console. It's messy and difficult for the children to reach. Some are stacked on each other and I fear the kids may pull one and everything else topples on them.

Meimei shares the same concern and has been diligently searching taobao for a suitable bookshelf. She finally chanced on one which looks sturdy and ecstatically ok.

The rotating bookshelf is space-saving and does not require a wall to lean against. There is a heavy metal plate at the base which keeps it sturdy. Unless a kid decides to scale the bookshelf it is unlikely to topple.

The other upside of this - OO is starting to pull books out to read because it's prominently in the living room and easy to pull out. I think we might consider getting a couple more of this to store other books. I'm sure the book collection is going to grow, especially if the children show interest in reading.

Hey Mr. Fireman

YY saw OO putting the fireman hat on and couldn't resist but do the same. He looks so cute with the hat and the pyjamas.

Coaxing A Haircut

YY's hair is long again. But now that he's no longer a little baby where we can easy hold still and cut, we needed a way to distract him while we cut his hair.

Out comes the water play table. Which kid doesn't like to play water eh? So while he splashes the water Nyama and Siti work quickly to snip off the long hair. Success hehe.

New Washer With Steam Cleaning

First the dryer broke sometime last year and we replaced it with a similar model. But after we replaced it the maid kinda stop using it ... what a waste. Now the washer is giving problems. I suppose it's about time.

We bought the washer when we got married and moved into 303. That's like 8 years ago so it has seen better days. Plus over the last few years we have been using it heavy duty, with several washes a day due to the sheer volume of kids clothes.

So time for a new washer and after some quick shopping we bought a larger 8kg capacity washer with a steam cleaning function. We think we 'might' use it to clean the pillows and stuffed toys on the weekends. But we'll see .... it did set us back a good $1.3K+ though. Hopefully it'll last for a lot more years to make its worth.

Tokidoki Pop-up Float Playground @Changi T3

This Tokidoki craze is getting everywhere. First it is this proliferation of the brand through the Jubebe collaboration. It's like the LV of the mama world and every mum seems to have to have at least one Jubebe. Then this is followed by the obsession of the mummy brigade on everything Tokidoki.

So now they have a joint marketing effort with Changi Airport and have setup a bouncing castle at Terminal 3's departure. As usual, Meimei has her groupies to join in for the fun. Somehow they bought so much merchandise that they have enough 15 minutes for 3-4 kids to play for an hour at the bouncing castle.

OO was all excited and kept going and going at the slides, bouncing around the castle from end to end non stop.

Tampopo @Takashimaya

It's been a long long time since we had Tampopo at Liang Court. That was when we didn't have children and had the luxury of time to detour to the Clark Quay area for dinner. So when I found out there was an outlet at Takashimaya when we went there today, I immediately jumped at the idea of dinner there.

And man did it not fail me. The black pork ramen was as super as it was many years ago. The broth is so appetising without being salty and thick on the throat. I'm definitely coming back for more!

OO is 4!

Hurray! OO is now 4! Oh how time pass so fast. Just yesterday she was a little pouty baby girl. Now she is practically a teenager with attitude!

Meimei outdid herself with OO's decor. I especially like the unicorns.

Instead of the traditional birthday cakes, Meimei ordered 2 sets of customised cupcakes for the celebration at home and school.

OO and her classmates loved the cupcakes and they kept coming back for seconds and thirds. Bravo Meimei!

YY @ 13 months - 臭脾气

YY is getting more and more opinionated. He understands what he wants and doesn't want and knows how to communicate it with displeased grunts and cries. Probably a good thing so he won't be bullied by OO.

Together At Red Slide Playground

2nd time the kids are at a playground together. YY is beginning to understand that shoes means going out and he'll quietly let you put them on without any struggle. He even knows to point to them when he wants to go out.

Animal Gathering

I love it when OO plays and gets creative. It reminds me when I was her age and would line up my stuffed toys.

The "Lost" Pics

OO's favourite teacher at school Teacher Ika left the school recently but Meimei has her number and have kept in contact. Meimei says Teacher Ika misses OO and have been asking how OO was doing in school.

She also shared some pictures she never uploaded into the i-child portal. These would have been lost forever if Meimei hadn't kept up her contact with her. Oh how cute OO was when she was younger ... no wonder Teacher Ika loved her very much too.

Giraffe Ride

Meimei had bought this sometime ago and now that YY's pretty steady in walking we decided it was time he has a go at it.

Which kid isn't excited when they get a new toy. YY was right on it the moment we brought the ride into the playpen.

Mini Dyson

It's amazing the things companies do to promote their product. And I do have to applaud the lengths Dyson went for their vacuum. I wish more companies would do the same. The mini Dyson is a gift from Layping to YY for his birthday.

YY loves pushing it around. He was already fascinated with the real vacuum so to get to play make-believe was a great treat. We kept constant watch though fearing he might drop the vacuum and hit his leg. That and manage the playtime since OO was very keen to play it too.

So Ramen @Bedok Mall

These days I'm not one to likely blog about food. With the kids Meimei and I hardly go anywhere to eat anymore, other than the nearby kopitiam or malls. Convenience has taken over the urge to find good food to satisfy our cravings.

And its on one of these convenience trip at Bedok Mall that we discovered a pretty good ramen place. Well, truth be told, I wasn't expecting much. It was lunch time and we were looking for a place to eat which is not of the fast food variety. I was craving for soupy stuff and so was Meimei.

We ended up at So Ramen because there are readily available seats and it was empty save for a table or two ... which means faster service.

What was just a convenience thing surprisingly yielded a new favourite place for ramen. And it's so close to home to boot which makes it even more attractive. I had the Grand Tonkotsu Ramen as it had 3 types of meat as a first try to see which meats were better. The broth was rich and flavourful, but not over-powering or jialat. Meimei had the Spicy Ramen which was also very good, with its spicy and sour aftertaste. And a very contentious plus these days .... they serve free ice water. Ha!

I'm definitely coming back again, especially when I'm looking for soupy food.

Secret Playground At Gardens By The Bay Kids Fountain Play Area

I don't think we would have ever discovered this if not for OO wanting to go explore the area behind the kids fountain area.

Initially it was just a few rope play structures for the older kids. But as we moved deeper we found an  extensive area with a 'treehouse' pitched above an entire sand area.

There was even slides that were about 2 storey high to get down to the sand area.

There were all sorts of little corners, paths to other slides etc dotted around the place.

It really feels like you were transported to another place. OO and I had a blast exploring the place. I think the allure of the place was also that it's tucked away in a corner and camouflaged by trees and vegetation. You would never find it unless you deliberately came this way.