Ale turns 18 months

(Daddy compiles)

Today, Ale turns 18 months. Or 1.5 years old.

Either way, it has been a pretty fast ride. And sometimes quite a bumpy one too.

Nevertheless, Daddy wants my little girl to know that you will always be my darling. And here's wishing you all the happiness in the world - just as what your Chinese name implies.

Here's a photo montage compilation that I did, just for you Ale.



Happy 18 months, dear.

Happy Birthday, Brandon!

It was the weekend of Birthdays, as we had 2 Birthday Parties to attend over the weekend. And first up, it was Brandon's Birthday Party at My Gym.

And here's the Birthday Boy - already dripping with perspiration by the time we got there.

What's a Birthday Party without party games, right?

So the gym instructors there made sure we had plenty of fun by making us run and run and run.

And doing funny poses too.

Of course, we all enjoyed it. But what di-di & I were obviously eyeing was the free play time, because that was when we got to play with all the gym equipment!

And I suspect mei-mei too, enjoyed her free play gym time. Heh.

After all the exertions, we still had the small matter of demolishing the Piñata before the main event...

Which was to sing the Birthday song for Brandon!

Happy 6th Birthday, Brandon! Thanks for inviting us to your party!

Next up, an Angry Birds Birthday Party!

Cheekiemonkies & HP Folio13 Giveaway - Results

Remember the HP Folio13 Ultrabook Giveaway 2 weeks back? We have a WINNER! 

The HP Folio13 Ultrabook goes to Hwee Boon, who tweeted and shared the photo above! HP will get in touch with you really soon! 

Thanks to those who have participated and have a great weekend!

Reaping what you sow

(Daddy reflects)

It hurts to be rejected. Especially if the other party is your own kid.

I remember when Ash was still new, complete with THE 'baby smell'. I would jump at every opportunity to be close to him - change diapers, bathing, playing, lulling him to sleep. You name it, I would do it. Even making stupid faces and sounds that I never dreamt I would be doing in the pre-kids era of my life.

I was Ash's slave. I wanted his approval, his acceptance that Daddy was THE guy to go to for fun - and pretty much everything else.

And I succeeded.

I was his awesome play mate. And where all before me had failed, he stopped crying the moment I picked him up. To him, I was his superhero. And I was slicker than greased weasel poop. Or at least it lasted until he discovered I couldn't climb walls or fly faster than a speeding bullet. But that's besides the point. The point is, that Ash knew that I would be able to provide him with comfort whenever he needed, no questions asked. And I'm glad to say it still stands true to this very day.

Fast forward to Ale. Being the only girl among the 3 monkies, there was little doubt that the title of Daddy's princess would be hers to assume.

But having 2 older siblings before her also meant that I wasn't able to give her as much attention as I did with Ash. There were still all the ultra-cool boys' stuff to do together, like playing with our Transformers toys or just plain silly wrestling on the mattress foam.

This meant that the wifey was her source of comfort most of the time. And it shows.

Ale would wake up in the middle of the night crying her lungs out, and there I was, trying to pacify her by picking her up. But no, she would act as if I was made of cactus, like I was made of fire. She would wail and wail and wail and wail until her entire face was covered with a mash-up of tears, mucus and booger. And still she wailed some more. Only when the wifey took over was calm finally restored.

I have an explanation for this, and it is called boobies. My wifey has them, and I don't. Okay okay, I *cough* do *cough* too. But they aren't lactating so Ale has no use for them.

But again, that's besides the point. The point is, that I didn't give her the same amount of attention and time as compared to Ash and the consequences are telling. Ale sticks to the wifey. Period.

So it got me thinking - even the small act of changing a diaper, or tickling each other silly on the floor, lets your child know that you DO have the capacity to be there for him or her. And it starts from young - from the moment that they still have that 'new baby' smell - and they can sense that. They know. Just because they are noisy pooping little buggers doesn't mean they aren't smart.

And so it comes down to this - involvement. Feed more meals. Bathe them more. Change more diapers. Play with them more. Listen more.

The rewards will be immense.

LEGOLAND Malaysia opens on 15th Sep 2012!

(Daddy jumps for joy)

That's right, LEGOLAND Malaysia is officially opening on September 15th 2012. And thanks to the kind people there, I was invited down to LEGOLAND Malaysia for a media conference and site visit.

LEGOLAND Malaysia's spanking new Administrative building

During the media conference, Mr. Siegfried Boerst, General Manager of LEGOLAND Malaysia, disclosed the opening date, as well as gave an update of the progress of the Theme Park.

It is currently 75% completed, with most of the rides and infrastructure already installed. Next month, the Park will see the installation of 50 million LEGO bricks and models into the Park.

Of course, the real anticipation for me was the actual site visit. And it didn't disappoint.

The LEGOLAND Express 

We saw the LEGO Train making its testing rounds, and it was surreal. At least to me, because I have never been to a LEGOLAND Theme Park before and seeing LEGO bricks in a life-sized form is akin to seeing Megan Fox in an Optimus Prime outfit something amazing.

So... ANYWAY, I got the chance to tour the grounds for a brief moment and I could see the main entrance to LEGOLAND Malaysia had already taken shape.

We were then whisked off to the Land of Adventure next, where I could see a tall tower had been erected in the distance. That would be the Observation Tower in the Imagination Zone, which is 50m high and offers a fantastic view over the entire LEGOLAND Park once it is completed.

At the Land of Adventure itself, I came face to face with Dino Island - a water flume ride where one sits in a Dinosaur boat made up of LEGO bricks.

Ooh, this is one ride I will drag Ash & Ayd to sit with me. Muahaha...

With Mr. Siegfried Boerst, GM of LEGOLAND Malaysia

While the rest of the media were still busy snapping photos of the flume ride, I wandered around on my own. And look what I spied in the distance.

LEGO City Fire Trucks!

Exclusive first look! :D

I believe this is a classic ride in all LEGOLANDS around the globe. The Rescue Academy ride pile families into a fire truck and they power it by pumping levers up and down as they race other families to put out the “fire”. The first family to make it back wins.

And as we made our way back to the Admin Building, I can only imagine the excitement and joy that LEGOLAND Malaysia will bring to Ash & Ayd once it officially opens. Because I can feel it too.

But for now, all we can do is wait.

Less than 5 months to go!

In the meantime, you can visit LEGOLAND Malaysia's website for a full listing of all its Rides, Attractions, Shops and F&B outlet here: http://www.legoland.com.my/Explore/Activities/


TICKETING INFORMATION

LEGOLAND Malaysia has also announced a special offer for Single-Day tickets - RM96 (S$40) for Adults and RM70 (S$29) for Children & Senior Citizens.

Single-Day tickets can be purchased at the following LEGOLAND Malaysia Road Shows in Singapore:

• VivoCity, Central Court B: 25 - 29 April 2012 (10am - 9pm)
• Raffles City: 25 May - 25 June 2012 (10am - 9pm)

Or if you prefer Annual Passes, you can purchase them online via SISTIC HERE. Currently, a S$13 discount is given with every Annual Pass purchased.

LEGOLAND Malaysia Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/LEGOLAND.my
LEGOLAND Malaysia Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/#!/LEGOLAND_MY

Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk Guided Tour

(Daddy boardwalks)

Call me suaku, but I never knew a Mangrove Boardwalk existed right in Pasir Ris. Sure, I know about the Changi Point and Chek Jawa ones... and the Sentosa one. Uhm, okay so the last one doesn't count.

So anyway, the moment I realised the existence of the Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk, I knew I had to bring my monkies down for a good trek. 

And the thing about going for a nature walk of such - pardon the pun - nature, it is best to go with a guide. A professional who will be able to spot all the interesting flora & fauna and point them out to us. Because if it was left to me, I reckon my boys will be bored stiff in record time.

So I was really happy to find out that Naked Hermit Crabs, a bunch of nature-loving volunteer guides who have come together to share their knowledge about Singapore's very own nature environment, have been conducting guided tours for the Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk - for FREE!

Ash & Ayd were definitely all psyched up for the Boardwalk, as I had previously told them that they would be able to spot crabs and mudskippers during the walk. Later did I know that we would see those and much more!

Sankar was our volunteer guide for that day, while Ria & Ivan, the other 2 guides, stayed back to wait for the latecomers. He gave a brief explanation as to how the mangrove reproduces, while asking us to keep our eyes peeled for any moving living organism.

He was sharing about the Nipah Palms in the above photo, which seemed foreign to all the kids initially. But once he mentioned that we know its fruit as 'attap-chee' which was used in ice kacang, all the kids nodded in unison.

Of course, the kids were more excited to see things that move. And soon, everyone was on a mission to do some crab-spotting or mudskipper-spotting.

Quite frankly, it wasn't that hard to spot. 

The entire mangrove area was covered with peculiar 'humps', which were actually made by Mud Lobsters. And the numerous holes that puncture throughout the landscape were the work of Tree-climbing crabs.

Much like this one.

Take this one, and multiply it by the gazillions... and you can get an idea how many crabs there were.

Mudskippers, though, were a little more elusive. And because it camouflages really well with the muddy water, the kids (and even the adults) needed some time before we came across one.

Can you spot the mudskipper in the photo below?

Oh, and a special mention goes out to Ale. She was game enough to follow the older kids along the boardwalk, sticking her head beyond the railings and going 'Ooh, Aah' whenever someone made an animal sighting.

I don't think she understood what she was seeing, but it was all cute nonetheless.

Soon, we reached a jetty which overlooked Sungei Tampines. And I was told this was the fave spot of the guides.

Why? Because it was here that we got to spot the most number of animals!

And if I didn't make a list of all the animals we came across in my iPhone, I would have forgotten some of them by now.

So let's see - we spotted herons, kingfishers, a water monitor lizard, and even fishes like halfbeaks and archer fishes!

The kids were definitely having a field day trying to out-spot one another, and it was all for good fun. We even got to see a gliding lizard, otherwise known as a 'flying dragon', on a tree.

It was so high up in the tree that that was the best my camera zoom lens can muster.

And as we were prepared to call it a day, we got an added bonus. Can you spot it?

It was the Dog-faced Water Snake, with its head peeking slightly out of the water. And for the record, I shall shamelessly declare that it was me who first spotted it. Hah!

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening walk, and without a doubt my monkies did too. Many thanks to Ria, Sankar & Ivan for the hugely informative guided tours. It is really heartening to see them being passionate about their cause and their willingness to share it with everyone is infectious. It's one thing to spot the animals, but to have someone explain in greater detail about the characteristics of the animals during the walk - that is immensely beneficial.

So, who says there is nothing to see in Singapore? That there is no nature environment to speak of in Singapore?

Sign up for their next Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk on 28th April (Sat) at 5pm and be amazed! Registration is required and please click HERE for more details.

One last thing, the Boardwalk tour is open to ALL ages - from the junior to the very senior. And yes, the Boardwalk is even stroller-friendly!

In addition, the Naked Hermit Crabs also conduct FREE Chek Jawa Boardwalk trips every month. For the dates and more information, please click HERE.


View more photos of us wrecking havoc in the Parks around Singapore on our Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.283678351712441.66647.110845722329039&type=1

The day we discovered webcam

For some inexplicable reason, mei-mei managed to activate the webcam of Daddy's laptop while fiddling with the keyboard one day.

And what ensured were some rather noisy scenes, coupled with lots of monkie faces.

And when it came to monkie faces, I dare say nobody comes close to di-di & me.

See what I mean?

Okay, maybe except Daddy. Heh.

Mei-mei then decreed that she wanted exclusive use of the webcam. And what the diva wants, the diva gets.

Daddy was happy that we got to at least snap a decent family photo for all our webcam frenzy.

Pretty nonsensical, but it was all fun! And sometimes, all we need are moments like these for some impromptu family bonding time. :)