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The wet season is definitely upon us! The downpours bring cooler but sticker temperatures and the thunder & lightening storms are as impressive as fireworks on Guy Fawkes.
Halloween is celebrated here with parties, treating and school activities over the week. The day after Halloween items are removed from the supermarket shelves and replaced with Christmas goods. If there is this much effort put in to Christmas I hate to see what the Chinese New Year brings!!
Week 1 Kindy Holiday
Eight weeks doesn't seem long enough between kindergarten holidays but James was tired and really did need a break. So one week in to a two week break and we haven't had any major meltdowns. Having Steve home for the week most definitely helped to keep two very active little lads busy! Here are the weeks highlights...
We started the weekend at the Amped Trampoline park which is a fantastic idea , there must have been at least 50 trampolines side by side with walking mats laid in between each tramp. After an hour of jumping we were all exhausted and considerably lighter (they say 10 mins jumping is equivalent to 30 mins running)!! The reward for our hard work, the boys slept well that night so we will definitely keep this on our list of weekend activities.
The Singapore Science Centre is another good place to visit with lots of big spaces for the boys to move about and plenty of buttons to press! The weather wasn't great so we didn't spend any time in the water park but as annual pass holders we'll be back there too!
I can't believe we haven't visited the Port Of Lost Wonder on Sentosa Island before now, it's a great place for the boys to cool off and we didn't get to explore much more than the water park so there is plenty more adventures to be had on return visits.
The main event for the week Legoland. Just 1.5 hours bus trip and we arrived at this amazing theme park just across the Malaysian border. Perfect for little ones, especially James who was big enough for most of the rides. From driving miniature lego cars and boats to roller coasts there was loads of activities for both boys. And what a brave little lad James was experiencing his first ever roller coast ride at just four and it wasn't that littler a ride! He wasn't keen to have a second go but he gave it a go all the same. Unfortunately the water park wasn't due to open for a few days and it was HOT!
The plan for week two of the semester break, play dates, play date and more play dates...
Visitors
Having family (or anyone for that matter) visit is fantastic, not only does it keep the homesickness at bay but it's a great motivator to getting out and exploring all Singapore has to offer. I do feel a little for my Mum, Dad and Auntie though as the first visitors (twice since we arrived) they've had to endure long bus & MRT rides as we found the best (and right) route to get to the sights and on both trips it's been hot! Some lessons learnt, don't expect to cover too much ground in one day and get out early (or late) to avoid the heat.
This time round we visited the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark which seemed a little costly but once up all 52 floors you could see it was worth every cent - the views were amazing. I personally didn't like to be anywhere near the glass balustrade surrounding the bow (or is it the stern) of the boat but was still able to take in the magnificant views. The boys were a little disappointed that they couldn't swim in the 'guest only' infinity pool which could be seen from the viewing platform but at $450 per night (for the cheapest room) it wasn't really worth a five year advance on their pocket money!
Next stop Merlion Park and despite being the middle of the day we managed to walk from the hotel around the bay to the park. I'm not sure if this mythical creature (fish with a lions head) was meant to be the main attraction or James! I did jokingly suggest if he charged $0.50 for every photo he was asked to pose in he'd be rich and that didn't account the majority of tourists who just snapped away at our attention loving star!
We also visited the botanical gardens which was again fantastic. We didn't see any gigantic lizards or monkey's (aside from James and Alex) but we did see the orchid garden and with so much more to see we will definitely be back.
Finally, Chinatown for a bit of souvenir and gift shopping. The Heritage Centre was also worth visiting and a welcomed escape from the heat and shopping.
As our visitors returned to an unwelcome cold snap covering NZ we have also experienced several days of rain lowering the temperature to a cool 27 degrees. Now well adjusted to the hot climate I considered for a moment whether I needed to dig deep into my drawers in search of warmer clothes….
Swimming
One of the things I really love about living in Singapore is being able to swim every day. Not only is it a great way to cool off but the boys love it! In the short time we have been here the boys water skills have improved considerably but with both boys increased confidence in the water I've have had to grow eyes in the back of my head!!
James can now navigate our deep pool pretty well, jumping, diving, snorkling and swimming/doggie paddling usually does the trick. Alex too has oodles of confidence and having jsut turned 2.5 years I am proud to say he can kick his way across the little pool, head down arms out straight. Oh and he also loves diving into the pool and being pushed to the bottom so he can kick himself up.
James is in his third week of the new school year and so far seems to be enjoying being back. Meanwhile Alex and I are settling back into our routine of play dates, coffee dates and exploring more of Singapore.
Back to Kindy
I had to laugh at the 'meet the teacher' session at kindy last week when asked how our summer holiday went. Not because there was anything particularly funny about the last nine weeks but because the question almost suggests there is another season to come here in Singapore. Hot, hot and hotter = summer all year round in my book.
Of course my response was we have had a fantistic break albeit a little too long. Keeping two little boys busy (and away from TV, computers, ipads and iphones) takes a lot of energy and imagination. So did I achieve my goal? Let's just say I'll be better prepared for the next round!
I'm looking forward to the week ahead with Master James back at kindy I'll have time to reorganise myself and prepare for the return of visitors next week. Regular activities and playdates will resume for Master Alex and the chaos of the last two months will quicky fade away.
Phuket
One of the perks of living in Singapore is having all of Asia on your doorstep. For our first holiday the hardest part was deciding where to go, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong Vietnam, Japan they're all on the wish list of places we'd like to visit. So, after trawling the internet we decided Phuket, Thailand was a good place to start.
We spent a week in Phuket, the climate was perfect at 29-31c and being less humid than Singapore was wonderful.
We planned a relaxing week, catching a few of the sights without too much running around. A trip to the weekend market where you could buy anything from Gucci to Billabong if only the Real McCoy and Splash Planet kept the boys entertained for a few hours. A speed boat trip to Phi Phi Island was amazing (aside from the white knuckled boat ride to get there). James and Alex loved diving off the boat into the sea where the movie 'The Beach' was filmed. And finally a trip to Thailand wouldn't be complete without a massage and cooking class.
We loved Phuket so much that we might have to keep Thailand on the wish list for a return visit one day.
A Brief Update
The last time we updated our website was while we were on our O.E over six years ago!! As you'd expect our lives have changed considerably since then so 'to cut a long story short' here are the highlights.
The most significant change going from a (D.I.N.K's) couple to a family of four. This new chapter in our lives began with James (born Dec '08) followed by Alex (born Mar '11). These two little malicky's have bought much joy into our lives as you can see from the thousands of photo's in the gallery!
The next most notable event has to be our relocation to Singapore in 2013. Steve moved here in January, started work and set up our new home on the East Coast while the boys and I followed in April after sorting our NZ affairs.
Reunited and four months on we have all settled into the Singapore way of life, James started Kindergarten while Alex and I have made friends through toddler groups and activities. Adjusting to the hot humid climate is made easier with daily dips in the pool and has accelerated the boys confidence in the water. Exploring the local markets, hawker centres and coffee shops gives insight into the culture here while dishing up some tasty meals. There is plenty to keep us busy as we take our time to discover all there is to do here and when we need a break from the humidity and cleanliness of Singapore there is all of Asia to explore!
So our challenge now is to keep you updated with stories of our daily lives and pictures, mainly of the boys as they continue to grow and develop in a place we now call home.