milestone moments: I'm a Kryptonite

Go figure! A periodic table would help.

Coming to this age, I've got so much to be thankful for - parents who love me as if I was still their little girl, thoughtful and very accommodating in-laws (a real extension of my family), relatives who keep in touch from across the miles, friends I've known for ages, BFFs who never seem thousand miles away, soul sisters with whom I share parenting, mothering & anything-under-the-sun issues with, co-parent volunteers with whom I have good laughs (and tons of great volunteer work) with, 2 boys who are undergoing different life changes in their differing life stages (a semi-responsible 13-year-old finding his way into secondary life and being a teenager , and an 8-turning-9-year-old who's stubborn as a mule but at the same time sweet and clingy as a koala), and , last but not the least, a husband who drives me crazy with his antics, a not-the-usual-romantic-but-tries-his-own-way-of-showing-he-cares man who showers me with small favors (Twilight Saga movies, Suits seasons) at the click of a mouse or letting me sleep few hours longer on weekends even if that meant breakfast is served at 10 or 11am, who surprises me from time to time (when was the last time again?) with flowers or a trip to the jewelry shop, who always reminds me not to take things too seriously (a.k.a. stop nagging), who brings me and the kids to experience the world, and who has stayed true to his promise of commitment since the day we became a couple 16 years ago.

In spirit of gratitude, and feeling good, I've decided to treat myself to some pampering this year. Thanks to Popular (yes, the bookstore) for the birthday discount vouchers sent through email, I was able to start my birthday with a spa treat at LifeSpa (my first in Singapore). I chose their place in Somerset, supposedly so I could have lunch with hubby after. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, lunch date was scrapped, so I just added another treatment (tummy detox).

waiting for my full body massage by the very nice and friendly masseuse,

who had really strong hands (I thought I was going to break a bone or something,

but surprisingly, it felt really good after)

Feeling rejuvenated, I was ready to walk the streets of Orchard to go window-shopping but didn't have enough time to do so. I had to be home by 130pm as the boys will be arriving from school for lunch. Takeaway lunch that is.

For dinner, the boys and I headed to Nex mall to check out the Japanese restaurants (oh yeah, we still have Japan fever going). But since we still had some time before hubby gets there to meet us, the boys insisted we go to the telephone shops first (they are crazy about gadgets these days, specifically smart phones, as if they are getting any). After getting their brochures and tinkering with smart phones for the nth time, we headed to the basement level to look for a place to dine.

Since we had a picky eater in tow, he has to be the one to check the menu to see if anything would please his palette. We ended up at Men-ichi because it had fried rice on the menu and his favorite crab meat sushi. Kelvin was ok with any as he can eat almost anything now (big difference from when he was Ira's age).