My office summer party provided us with another showcase of the differences between the two kids. Siyuan torn throughout the grounds, making sure he played everything. Food, including chocolate and ice cream, was not important. Sihuai was more than happy to wait 20 minutes to get her face painted. Later , lux said she walked round the park with food in both hands. Good day for the kids.
We have been trying to get sihuai to learn her abc and numbers. Siyuan learnt them off sesame street and school, whereas sihuai isn't a big sesame street fan. Not sure what's happening in school! One morning I said to her: you have to learn a-z and 1-20. Without batting an eye, she said: no, that's too difficult! Children!
So, siyuan has wushu classes in school to help him appreciate chinese culture. He will perform the five step punch - whatever that is! - in December. He was telling Lux about it, when sihuai tried to show what it was about. So apparently big brother has been trying to teach his sister. Siyuan does like to be a big brother :)
There must be a playground hidden somewhere, and we must find it! He was like that at 1,2,3 and now as he approaches 6, he still clings fervently to that belief. Somethings never change and that's endearing.
Sihuai: I don't like spider Hwee Ann: that's an ant. Okay, papa take it away. Sihuai climbs up, and then points to some twigs - spider! No, no, those are not spiders. It's wet! Okay, let's go there. I dont like bees. There are no bees here. They may come later! Ok, I get the hint, she wants to go to the indoor playground.
My first trip back to disneyland in almost two years to celebrate sihuai third birthday. A sunday, so the queues were long. Siyuan had the the energy of a maniac and the girl was smart enough to sit in the stroller most of the time.
Tried to teach sihuai colors in Chinese. Halfway through, her brother chimed in that he knew the words. Sihuai turned and said to siyuan: can u teach? Yes, he shouted over his shoulder as he did his homework
It's been raining a lot, limiting what we can do. With wet ground, that's no no to playgrounds, hikes or ocean park. Finally we had something useful to do with our balcony.
It was a little wet having rained the night before. That said, it meant the park smelled properly like a rain forest. Siyuan was a little skittish, but sihuai was happily trampling down the path with her mom.
New restaurant at ocean park - nice if u can get the tables next to the viewing gallery for the aquarium! Food is ordinary for the price u are paying, but there's a nice small play area for the kids.
Shopping is boring! Siyuan declared. On entering the wellcome mart, Sihuai took control of a shopping basket, and Siyuan rushed to the bread section to get breakfast. The two kids then went from row to row, picking out why they want - breakfast cereal, cup noodle for me, and then chocolate for mama since it was mother's day. Looks like they enjoyed the shopping all right.
Sihuai solemnly told me this: I'm big already. I'm not a little girl. Here she is in her pig-tail look, getting her nails painted. A minute later she was shouting: mama, can you colour my feet!
Like many girls of her age, Sihuai loves to dress up as a princess. Yesterday, she decided to dress her soft toy with a set of pajamas. She then proceeded to cook for her loyal subject.
Went to taipo to cycle with friends. Quaint family cycle that costs $30 an hour. We pushed up a slope to a bridge, that sits atop a dam hemmed in by mountains. Beautiful.
Mama, here's your cup, sihuai said after washing her fingers in it. While lux was looking dubiously at her cup, sihuai proceeded to dig her nose. Children!
We visit the zoo every year we are in Singapore - the kids love it. There's a water park in there, allowing them to run wild. There's also a merry go round and a pony ride. And after a year, Siyuan still remembers the chicken rice he had at the zoo. It's that good :) This time round, Siyuan took a map from the entrance and insisted in bringing us straight to the water park. How does he know? We only come once a year!
Now that it's over, winter feels like an ages ago. Last winter passed as we prepared for the Xmas party, and as we searched for a new place to live. Our previous apartment, while spacious and close to a mall, was also hemmed in by roads. Spent many weekends just trekking through areas and apartments. Meanwhile, the kids get to dress up! P
Picture of our new place at Kornhill. Siyuan had said: This is Kornhill because a lot of corn grows here! Lux corrected him, and now he says: no corn grows here.
Siyuan's current best friend is Olivia. He plans to marry her when he grows up. That idea crept into his head after he saw people taking wedding pictures and asked about it. Like all kids, he goes through phases and friends. There was Yamato when he was just one, and then over the years, Stephen, Rei and Lucas. It's now Olivia.
Lux got together a group of friends, rented a bus and then we went to the wetland park. That became a template for future trips to locations in new territory. We also went to a strawberry farm.
Lux went on a baking marathon for the Xmas brunch we held, which also served as Siyuan's birthday party. Almost an entire row of baked cookies, cakes from her, including this cake.