Weekend Getaway at Downtown East in 2006

We chanced upon a promotion for Costa Sands Resort. We felt we needed time off and this deal was too good to let go. And the place was Downtown East - there's a water park, a themepark and a lot of eating places. We really had a family weekend fun.

Coaching to Genting in 2003

Few times in a year, vacation packages to Genting Highlands go on sale. Since we haven't been to Genting before, and it was REALLY a cheap package for the family, we grabbed the chance to go on a 2day-1night trip when we saw the sale.

We booked with Five Stars together with my sis-in-law.

On the departure day, we took the cab to Golden Mile Complex where most of the buses going to Malaysia depart from. It was very early in the morning (which is usually the case for most of the departures).

We had 2 stops on the way to Genting. First one was at Yong Ping (where we grabbed some snacks) and another one at Kuala Lumpur (really just passed by). 

We arrived at Genting in the afternoon, with a long queue for hotel check in (at First World Hotel). We had no choice but to explore the arcades and entertainment centers first, then come back when most of the people have already checked in. We left our luggage in the locker area.

There were indoor rides, a themepark, casino (of course), and other fun activities to do. We walked around to check which activities and rides we could be interested in.

We tried our hands at archery. At first, we thought it was easy since the target was huge and it was close enough for us to hit. Unfortunately, we were wrong. I didn't imagine it was that hard to pull bow and make the arrow fly and hit the target! Our shoulders were aching by the time we were finished.

The next morning, we were up quite early, had our buffet breakfast and walked to the cable car station for our trip down the mountains which ends at the bus terminal. There we took the coach back home to Singapore.

It was really a short break. But we still had fun.

Ira pool acrobatics

Ira underwater acrobat

Ira loved playing in the pool. As he became more and more familiar with the water and the depth of the pool, he explored on the kinds of tricks he could do.

He especially loved this game wherein he is thrown like a torpedo and he would swim back to Dad, dolphin-style" swimming as we call it.

Ira in the pool

Ira, like older brother Kelvin, was introduced into the water quite early (as soon as he could walk). We would always bring him along when Kelvin was taking his swimming lessons in P1 (Ira was only 3 years old then). 

At first he would just play around with Kelvin at the kiddy pool, splashing water at each other. Then he learned to go down the slide (in the pool). After sometime, he got bored in the kiddy pool so we moved on to the training pool where Kelvin was taking his lessons. Ira couldn't reach the floor on that pool but it did not deter him from having fun.

Few more weeks and Kelvin advanced to the lap pool which was also the deep pool (from 4-6 meters deep). We followed with Ira in tow. He would just hang on the side of the pool at first. Then we would tell him to try and kick his legs so he could start to float and swim. 

It didn't take him that long to learn. And he wasn't really scared no matter how deep the pool was. From then on we would just stay at the lap pool and he would do different tricks. 

He enjoys the deep pool more than the kiddy pool. Although sometimes he would still go to the kiddy pool to go to the slides and play in the water fountains.

Here is a video of Ira when he was 4 years old. He could already swim almost half of the lap pool (cross-wise). that would be around 3-4meters, I think. There were times the lifeguards would check on him, of course, because he was too small. But as they see us there almost every week, they have learned to let him be, as long as we were there watching over him.

Squid Adobo

I am not really a "kitchen-friendly" kind of mom. I do cook but only simple recipes.

In celebration of lent, I cooked up one of the easiest recipes I learned (which is not frying) - Squid Adobo (sauteed in soy sauce). I got the details from my cousin sometime ago. She was once like me knows nothing much in the kitchen but is now a full-blown experimental cook.

Ingredients:
half a kilo squid (cleaned)
some garlic, sliced
some onions, sliced
pepper
soy sauce

Steps:
1. Saute the garlic and the onions.
2. Mix in the squid until a bit whitish in color (meaning it's already a bit cooked).
3. Simmer for a minute or two.
4. Add in soy sauce and pepper.
5. Simmer for another minute. Take note not to leave it cooking for too long as the squid will become chewy (good tip from my cousin).
6. Serve while it's hot.

just mixed the squid with the onions and garlic

added soy sauce  

This recipe is most of the times a sell-out to my family (aside from once or twice when the squid got overcooked and became too chewy for Kelvin).

Kumon Reading

I got free Kumon English workbooks from an online acquaintance (thanks much, Pam!). Ira and I started seriously reading them only in the start of this year. At first Ira was not that much interested as there were a lot of words to read. He was more used to reading a book with a story. But as we practised almost everyday, he got used to it and now enjoys reading the book.

The book also has a cd which Ira could listen to and follow. But what I do is let him read the words if he can first. Then I help him out with difficult or unfamiliar words. He usually uses phonics to read. But I think he also uses familiarity to the words (or arrangement of letters).

We are now on our 2nd month in reading and we have covered up to CD2 Track 5 (Level 6A). 

Here are the descriptions of each track which covers sets of  words / phrases / sentences to study:

CD1 Track 1 - 3 words per set, repeated four times, consists of 3-letter words

CD1 Track 2 - same as above, 3- to 4-letter words

CD1 Track 3 - same as above, minimum 4-letter words

CD1 Track 4 - two sets of 2-word phrases, repeated four times

CD1 Track 5 - four sets of 2-word phrases, using "a" and "an", repeated twice

CD1 Track 6 - four sets of 2-word phrases, using "a" and "an", repeated twice

CD1 Track 7 - four sets of 3-word phrases, using "a", repeated twice

CD1 Track 8 - combination of previous lessons, 4 sets of phrases, repeated twice

CD1 Track 9 - 6 sets of 2- and 3-word phrases, repeated twice

CD1 Track 10 - sets of 3-word phrases

CD2 Track 1 - 4-word sentences starting with "This is"
CD2 Track 2 - 4-word sentences starting with "This is" or "These are"
CD2 Track 3 - 4 to 5-word sentences starting with "This is", "She is", "He is", "She has" and "He has".
CD2 Track 4 - 4-word sentences starting with "They are", "They have", and "The..."
CD2 Track 5 - 4-worded sentences

During lesson CD2 Track 2, Ira mentioned that they were also learning "this is" and "these are" in school. He explained that the former is used for one thing and the latter for more things. It's good to know he is paying attention in class :)

We have yet to do CD2 Track 6 to Track 10. We hope to finish it by second week of March. Then do the repetitions until April. Hopefully he can finish Level 6A in April, remembering how to read all the words correctly.

Kelvin's Playgroup Days

Kelvin started going to school when he was almost 4 years old. It was in March 2004 when we enrolled him at NTUC Daycare at Toa Payoh (the one near the interchange) for a full day playgroup program (7am-7pm) since I was going to start work during that time. It should have been a 5 and a half week program but since hubby is not working on Saturdays, we only send Kelvin to the centre from Mondays to Fridays.

I accompanied Kelvin in the centre for his first week. He was a shy boy but he was able to mingle with new friends after a while. The centre had lessons in English, Math, Mother Tongue and the Arts. They also fed the kids 3 times a day (breakfast, lunch, snack) and bathed them. The kids had naptime and playtime, too.

This was how he spent his whole day in the centre:

9am - breakfast

10-12noon - lesson time

12noon-1230pm - lunch time

1230-1pm - bath time

1-4pm - nap time

4-5pm - snack time

5-7pm - playtime while waiting for parents

He became more independent during his months in the playgroup. He also learned a lot especially in Chinese. He was commended by his teacher because he was able to learn basic Mandarin words and learn to write Chinese characters neatly. He actually liked the subject and was eager to learn more.

The school also had different activities and celebrations throughout the year.

Parents' Day. He was the "uncle". 

trip to the vegetable farm

visited NTUC Fair Price just next door

Mandarin Orange Juice

During the Chinese New Year, we usually receive some Mandarin oranges from our friendly neighbors. Most of the times we are able to finish eating them. This year though, I think we got too much. We found out we still had around 10 untouched, and almost rotting oranges in the kitchen!

Mandarin orange peels

We couldn't finish eating all of them in time so we thought could make them into juice. I took our old baby juicer and squeezed all the juice that's left of the oranges.

add a few pieces of ice, and voila! 

A nice thirst-quencher and heat-buster during these very hot days. 

Why didn't we think of this before???

No more bottles

Ira just turned 5 last November 2009. We had a deal that once he turned 5 he will not drink milk from the bottle anymore. This was also in preparation for our NZ trip, so we don't need to bring formula milk and feeding bottles. But he did not stop on his birthday. Luckily he ran out of formula milk a few days after, and I told him there were no more milk tins in the grocery. I have also thrown away his feeding bottle teats as they were full of holes. Because of the series of events that happened, he was forced to give up milk bottles all of a sudden.

Singapore School Tuition Fees

For those sending or planning to send their kids to school in Singapore, here is the updated information on monthly school and miscellaneous fees:

A Decade Long of Marital Bliss

Has it really been 10 long years since we got married? That means we've saved so much celebrating Valentine's Days and our anniversaries at the same time!

It's nice to reminisce the days when we were merely strangers chatting and how our relationship has grown over time......

Money Talk

We recently went to the library and I saw this free financial handbook "The Moneysense Guide to Planning for your Family's Financial Future". I found it very helpful and informative for everyone who wants to learn more about budgetting and being prepared financially. I thought I would share this in my blog.

Preparing a Family Budget

4 Steps to Prepare a Family Budget

1.  Create a list of all your monthly income (what you earn).

This part is pretty simple. You can base on your payslip, or if you have extra income, make a record everytime you receive payment.

Financial Goals

I found this brochure and it's contents are worth sharing.

Source: The Moneysense Guide to Planning for your Family's Financial Future

*** my non-professional comments/opinions are in italics.

The first step in financial planning involves identifying your financial objectives and goals. At different stages in your life you will have different needs and face different challenges. It is important to identify your priorities so as to make realistic goals and efficient use of your financial resources.

Financial Planning

I found this brochure and it's contents are worth sharing.

Source: The Moneysense Guide to Planning for your Family's Financial Future

*** my non-professional comments/opinions are in italics.

6 Areas of Financial Planning

1. CASH FLOW MANAGEMENT - this deals with how you allocate your income to meet daily expenses, and how you set aside sufficient money and other assets to meet future financial goals.

This would be your family budget. This will help you plan your daily or monthly cashflow. The goal is to always have a positive cashflow at the end of the month, which means you have savings and not using up all of your income.

Taking Up Insurance

I found this brochure and it's contents are worth sharing.

Source: The Moneysense Guide to Planning for your Family's Financial Future
*** my non-professional comments/opinions are in italics.

Life insurance gives you and your family financial protection against death, permanent disability and critical illnesses. The following area some common insurance plans:

Planning for Kid's Education

Source: The Moneysense Guide to Planning for your Family's Financial Future
*** my non-professional comments/opinions are in italics.

 

Celebrating the Year of the Tiger (2010)

Who says that the Lunar New Year is just for the Chinese? We can also take advantage of this celebration. After all, it's a long weekend holiday.

Sengkang Services

Here is a list of nearby services / facilities for those residing around Sengkang.

Clinics

1. Pediatric Centre
Dr. Zainal Muttakin
Blk 118 Rivervale Drive,#02-20 Rivervale Plaza Singapore 540118
Tel : 6875 3927

2. Healthway Medical Clinic
Blk 118 Rivervale Drive #02-17 Rivervale Plaza Singapore 540118
Tel: 6881 2689
Mon-Fri: 8:00am - 10:00pm
Sat & Public Holidays  8:00am - 10:00pm
Sun  8:00am - 1:00pm  / 4:00pm - 10:00pm

3. Lifeline Medical Group Sengkang Pte Ltd
Blk 118 Rivervale Dr #02-18 Rivervale Plaza Singapore 540118
Enquiry Hotline : 6881 2392

4. Sengkang Dental Surgery
Rivervale Plaza 118 Rivervale Drive #02-19,  Singapore 540118
Phone: 6388-9882


Shopping Centres

1. Rivervale Plaza
118 Rivervale Drive  Singapore 540118
Phone: 6881-2621 

2. Rivervale Mall
11 Rivervale Crescent #01-37,  Singapore 545082
Phone: 6315-3250

3. Compasspoint Mall
1 Sengkang Square Singapore 545078 
Telephone : (65) 6881 2707 
Opening hours : 10.30am to 10.30pm



Markets

1. Sengkang Market

2. Rivervale Plaza Wet Market

Singapore Catholic Churches

Source: http://www.veritas.org.sg/parishes_list.php

Biking in Singapore

We started biking a couple of years ago. We bought our son a bike when he was 8 years old. Then we bought 2 more bikes for ourselves (hubby and me, plus baby seat for our younger son).

Kelvin's First Holy Eucharist

September 13, 2009

St. Anne's Church

Weeks before the First Communion, the catechists have been preparing the children for the upcoming event. There were projects to do, prayers to learn, etc etc.

One project is the First Communion banner.

The materials were given by the catechists during the meeting with the parents.

I also printed out additional decorations which Kelvin chose online.

For the event, the children were asked to wear white. We bought Kelvin a white long sleeved shirt and a new pair of black jeans. I also wore a white long sleeved top with floral stitches.

We were at the church early as I volunteered to assist the catechists in bringing the children from St Anne Hall to the church. We also wanted to get good seats :)

From Ira & Kelvin

a happy boy

From Ira & Kelvin

we gave Kelvin a First Communion Gift Pack - a rosary with container, scapulars, mass book and bookmark. Got it from the shop in the church.

NTUC Fairprice now 24hrs

NTUC Fairprice located at Rivervale Plaza is now open for 24 hours effective 27 January 2010. It used to operate only from 7am - 10pm.

It can be seen as a good move since Sengkang has seen an increase in residents for the past 5 years since we moved here. And with new flats still being built, more people are expected to move to this area. It might hurt the business of 711 though, since both of them now will be open 24hrs.

It would have been better if they expand their shop, maybe as big as the one at Rivervale Mall. There are times during peak hours the queues are too long. It makes the shopping experience quite inconvenient.

Here is a list of NTUC Fairprice Supermarkets in Sengkang

-  118 , Rivervale Drive , #01-08, Rivervale Plaza ,  SINGAPORE  540118  (open 24hrs)

-  11 , Rivervale Cresent , #03-01, Rivervale Mall ,  SINGAPORE  545082  (open from 8am-10pm)

 -  21 , Sengkang West Avenue , #01-11/12, Fernvale Point ,  SINGAPORE  797650 (open 24hrs)

- Blk 277C , Compassvale Link , #01-13, SINGAPORE  544277 (open 24hrs)