Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day 2014

Free Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream! That certainly got my attention.

Free Cone Day has been a Ben & Jerry's tradition since 1979, a day when the ice-cream chain thanks its loyal customers for their support over the past year by dishing out free ice-cream to all! I think it's a nice gesture with the added bonus that it's great for PR! 

I've missed the event year after year, always realising at the last minute that it was D-Day. But this time! This time I had rather providentially walked past the the promotional poster at Great World City just the week before. I made a mental note of the date, then hatched a plan with our swim mates to head over for free ice-cream after our swim session on 8 April. We picked Dempsey, thinking that it's more inaccessible location might mean smaller crowds in the middle of the afternoon.

Well, the crowd wasn't small. There were loads of students! But the queue was very well managed and there was a carnival-like atmosphere around which made the whole process more palatable. Instead of holding the event at their store, Ben & Jerry's had wisely set up shop in the open carpark behind their store, so there was plenty of space for the snacking queue, and more stations for the scoopies who were busy dishing out ice-cream. There were also plenty of helpers getting folks to pose with props and being around to ensure that the queue was kept moving. Thumbs up on a well-run event! 

We made it to Free Cone Day!

That's me, the 1st year Cone Newbie. They handed out stickers to everyone, from 1st year Cone Newbies to 2nd Year Scoop Rockers, up to 6th year Moo Masters and 8th year Resident Gurus!  

Donation boxes were strategically placed to collect donations for Ben & Jerry's charity partner, The Children's Charities Association of Singapore. 

We stood in line for about half an hour before we got to the front of the queue. In that time, we had plenty of time to contemplate the all important question of which flavour we were going to get. I was pleasantly surprised to see that pretty much the full menu of scoop shop flavours were made available, though the the downside to going later in the day was that about half of the flavours had run out. They were out of New York Superfudge Chunk (my favourite flavour!!) and in fact, all chocolate-based flavours like Chocolate Therapy, Phish Food and Chocolate Fudge Brownie. In the end, I opted for their newest flavour Couch Potato, a vanilla ice-cream with a salty caramel swirl and chocolate covered potato chip clusters. It was surprisingly good! The kids wolfed down their English Toffee Crunch and Strawberry.

Friendly scoopies serving up our ice-cream

The little miss is well-pleased.

Even little B got in on the action, with a cone AND ice-cream in a cup!

It was a nice afternoon treat. Maybe I'll be back for my 2nd year next year! 

NDP 2013 in the Park

This National Day we did something a little different and stepped out of the house to catch the fireworks and aerial display. 

If you know my husband, you'd know that he's EXTREMELY crowd-adverse, so going out there to jostle with everyone else is not his idea of a good time. But our friends suggested a picnic at a nice spot and I guess the hubby decided that it was worth the risk. 

It worked out really well and everyone had a great time. There was good food, good company, and space for the children to play. And a good view to boot.

Picnic! Our eclectic mix of pizza, nuggets, popcorn chicken, otak and chicken rice. Quite representative of Singapore, I think!

Our base camp.

Happy faces!

Here comes the flag!

The bomb burst. One of my favourite moments. 

In the lull periods, the kids scooted and played among themselves.

The only downside was missing the actual parade. I have a soft spot for the parade and had originally intended to bring along our iPad to stream the parade live but simply forgot when the time came to leave. We therefore didn't realise that the Red Lions' performance had been cancelled and kept wondering why they didn't show up! Hah. I guess I'll just have to catch the repeat telecast when they screen it.

Watching fireworks live though is still the best -- and indeed only -- way to see them. I didn't take any photos of the fireworks aside from a couple for remembrance because I really wanted to soak in the moment. And besides, I'm sure there were a ton better fireworks shots from others! The kids were completely mesmerised, maybe none more than Meips. "Colourful bubbles!" she exclaimed and when they ended, she kept directing me back to our spot and asking for more. "I want more fireworks!" she demanded. The older kids were busy identifying what they could see in the sparkles. There were hearts and stars and golden showers, though Noey's declaration that he saw a "Saturn shape!" was probably one of the more amusing ones. (My son is such a geek, I tell you!)

The dramatic segments aside, I think I one of the things I enjoyed best was to be out there, soaking in the atmosphere. All around us were local families and groups of youths, mostly dressed in festive red, some even with the moon and stars too. They were picnicking, blading, biking, walking their dogs, listening to music, and taking group jump shots. There was a carnival-like vibe in the air, which I thought was apt, given that we were celebrating a birthday after all. So while a Ritz staycation is probably still my favourite way to catch the show, this certainly wasn't bad at all.

And with that, we celebrate another year of our nation's independence.

Like many of others I know, I've got my gripes about this place. About the overly materialistic society that exalts the wrong values. About the fast pace of development that increasingly isolates with its need to tear down and re-build. And especially about the competitive and stressful education system that doesn't allow kids the time to grow at their own pace and, well, just be kids. As a young university student, I had dreamt of venturing out. Leaving this place to work, and maybe to live. For 2 or 3 years, maybe even longer. But the husband had other plans and since my future was tied to his, here I have remained.

I don't know if we'd ever move, but I do know that even if we do, this here, Singapore, will always be home. It is where we grew up, got married, had our babies. It is part of our history in a way that is not possible to erase. And there are the things I love too: the safe streets, the super efficient public services, the melting pot of cultures in one space, the fact that you can get access to world-class acts in music, theatre, and film on a regular basis, and of course, the absolutely irreplaceable array of the best food ever.

This is home, truly. Happy 48th Birthday Singapore. 

 

Kite Flying at Marina Barrage

It seemed like a perfect windy day activity -- kite flying.

It had been raining every afternoon for practically the whole month, so I wasn't sure if the weather was going to hold out for our afternoon date at Marina Barrage. But God was gracious. On this day, it rained earlier than usual, leaving the weather clear in the late afternoon. Us parents didn't take chances though, and dressed our kids in wellies, for fear that the ground might be wet. As it turned out, we didn't have to, but it sure made for cute pics!

We had a slight hiccup when we realised that the kites we had did not come with string. Haha. Talk about novices! But fortunately, we discovered that the gift shop at Marina Barrage stocks an extensive selection of kites AND string, so this was quickly rectified, and the Dads could get down to work.

I'm really not all that familiar with kite flying or getting a kite into the air and was mostly happy to leave DD to do the work. He was fairly confident anyway, except that things didn't exactly work out to plan. I put it down to the more unconventional shape of our kite, plus the fact that its balance seemed a bit off, leading it to tilt and dip to one side. Adding insult to injury, J and family got their kite into the air fairly quickly, and we were all gingerly offering tips to DD, prompting irritated "I know how to fly a kite, ok?" comments from him.

It took a while, but he eventually got the kite up and stable enough for Noey to have a go. And the look on his face made all the effort worth it. "I love it!" he said with conviction.

We hung around for a bit longer than we had planned, seeing that the kids were having fun. So we were pretty hungry when we headed over to the new Satay by the Bay for dinner. I don't know if it was because it was new, or because it was the 4th day of CNY, but disappointingly, hardly any stalls were open! And the ones that were open were so overwhelmed with orders that some stalls refused to even let us order anything. It was a bit of a daunting situation because we had hungry kids on our hands! 

In the end, after much queuing, we managed to get the children settled with plates of Nasi Lemak, while us adults got plates of Satay (naturally) and BBQ-ed chicken wings, and some really TASTY Bak Kut Teh. The Bak Kut Teh was a surprise - I don't think any of us expected it to be that good - but it's something I'll definitely order again if we go back.

We rounded off the evening with ice-cream (in yummy local flavours) and sparklers.  

Owing to the food situation, it was really late when we got back. Thankfully Noey had no school the following day! 

Now we really have to find another opportunity to bring the kites out for a spin again.

 

Scaring Away the Mid-week Blues

 How do you scare away the mid-week blues?

By giving them a good ROAR of course!

And if that doesn't work, these cute pics should at least put a smile on your face.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

 

Little Goddaughter of Mine

I went to meet my little Goddaughter for the first time over the weekend.

DD's third little Goddaughter, but a special one to me, because this time I get to be Godma, instead of my previous position as Godmother-in-law to her sisters. (That's what I call it, but they just call me Aunty V, really.) This little one is mine, and I was so glad to meet her.

It's special, carrying a newborn. Even as a Mum twice over, I still find myself surprised at how tiny they are. My own 20-month old baby suddenly seems like a giant beside this tiny new bundle.

Noey wasn't too interested in the new baby, but little Nomi was really curious.

"Baby! Hello Baby," she said affably as we introduced little Baby B to her, stretching out a hand to pat Baby B gently on her head. Even when I carried little Baby B in my arms, she showed no jealousy. That surprised me. I remember when Noey was the same age, he would not let me carry another baby without whining and insisting that I carry him instead. 

Perhaps Nomi regarded Baby B as a new doll. Whatever, the case it made DD and I think that maybe she's ready to be a big sister. I do think she'd be very pleased to have someone she can legitimately boss around! Of course, whether we choose to go down that route is the subject of another post altogether. Still, it was heartening to think that Nomi would take to it well. For the record, I actually think she would be a great big sister. It is me who is not prepared to lose her as the baby of the family quite just yet.

Still something to think about.

In the meantime, what is a Goddaughter if not someone extra to spoil?

A cute reversible outfit for Baby B and crayon rolls for her two sisters. Everything by my talented friend D at The Lil Roar Store. She makes me want to learn for to sew! In the meantime, I'm happily purchasing her creations. I think those crayon rolls would make cute gifts for Christmas.

Yet another little girl to shop for. Hurray!

 

Swim, Noey, Swim!

Noey started swim lessons last week.

His cousins were looking to start a class and I jumped at the chance to let him learn in a group setting. While DD is a very proficient swimmer, and would have done a decent job as a swim instructor, we did think Noey would be more willing to learn in a group with friends rather than on his own. As it was, when I first broached the subject of swim lessons with him, he quickly said he didn't want them. But when I told him that S and Z would be with him, he happily agreed.

Various travel plans caused the start date for swim class to be pushed back, but when Monday arrived, I think all us Mums were feeling a bit nervous about how the kids would take to it. We had roped in one other friend's daughter to make a class of four, and except for Z (who is the youngest), all the other three have some water anxiety. We all came, fully prepared to have to jump into the water with the kids but seriously hoping that we wouldn't have to!

Our prayers were certainly answered -- all four children took to the lesson, and the coach really well. The first lesson was more fun than challenging, with plenty of time spent splashing and getting the kids comfortable with the water. "So that they will want to come back," said the coach. I think he's got his strategy right! 

Coach E getting the kids to wash their faces.

Lotsa kicking!

Here Noey is trying to float on his back. He gamely went forward and stuck his arms out and put his head back, but hated the feeling of the water in his ears. He had to be persuaded to try again, and I'm glad he did it.

The kids all finished the first lesson with no tears and were enthusiastic about returning again the following week. We Mummies considered that a huge success! Credit should be given to their coach for connecting with them well and getting them to participate with him. Incidentally, their coach is a good friend of my sister's from her school days, so I've kind of known him, through her for years now, but I was surprised by how good he was with kids. Guess I never saw that side of him!

The second lesson was today. They did more serious work today, and I was really pretty proud of Noey. For a boy who would usually only want to walk around in the baby pool and kicks up a huge fuss about his swim wear, he actually wore the wetsuit uniform, managed to float outstretched with a kick board, agreed to wear his goggles and dip his face in the water while wearing them and holding his breath. And when floating on his back this time, he was able to put his ears in the water. Wow. I think those were quite some achievements for him!  

Floating outstretched

So we're definitely off to a good start. I am definitely praying that this continues.

Egg Hunt: Naomi Meets Chocolate

We had a very, very busy Easter weekend. With two Easter parties and egg hunts, two birthday celebrations, a home visitation, a family dinner and church, it was hectic for us alright! Whew. The kids and I are staying in today just to catch our breath and recover.

We kicked off Friday with the annual Tan family Easter Egg Hunt on Good Friday. Yes, we skip ahead to celebrating the resurrection together with the crucifixion! This was Noey's 4th Egg Hunt (I realise I didn't post pictures last year) and we can see how the understanding and interest level increases with each year. I think being allowed to eat chocolate definitely increases the excitement. This was also Nomi's 1st Egg Hunt because she really couldn't participate as a month-old bub last year.

The kids being a little older this year, our hosts added egg dyeing and decorating to the programme. Nomi just ran off with her egg but Noey enjoyed it. Unfortunately, fragile eggs and pre-schoolers don't really mix! Noey's decorated egg lasted maybe 5 minutes before he dropped it and cracked a hole in it.

The hunt had to be held indoors this year because it poured earlier and the ground outdoors was too wet. Nomi might be new to the Easter egg hunting game, but she caught on really quickly. While the rest of the children were busy listening to the Easter story and being relayed instructions for the egg hunt, Nomi was getting started on her own unofficial egg hunt. I guess the slight of all those brightly coloured foil covered egg was just too much to ignore and impossible to resist!

She popped one in her mouth, bit through the foil and tasted CHOCOLATE. After that we just couldn't keep her away from the eggs!

Yay, I found MORE!

The bigger kids came around shortly after and it was a frenzied few moments before it was all over. Now no longer a newbie at this game, Noey knew how to quickly pick up the eggs he wanted and put them in his bag. He accumulated a sizable stash. And was very pleased to be able to eat one right away.

Naomi had a first official taste of chocolate, and kept hankering for more thereafter.

This girl seems to prefer savoury food to sweet, but chocolate appears to be an exception. Not that I blame her.

It was a good start to the long weekend.

And if you're wondering why there are so many photos to this post, it is because my dear husband has bought himself a new camera! He's as pleased as punch about it and back to his trigger-happy ways. You'll hopefully be seeing more nice photos for a bit since I don't have to only rely on my iPhone like I usually do!

Hello 2012!

This year, 2012 rolled on in with little fanfare in the Ong household. Except for DD, the rest of us were all asleep!

At least we had an interesting day. We met Sophie and Zoe for a walk/run in the park before coming back to our place for dinner. I whipped up Udon Soup for the kids and Yaki Udon for the adults. They were both huge hits, for which I was thankful. Noey even ate the whole bowl of Udon by himself and Sophie and Zoe cleaned out their bowls. I love this Yaki Udon, based on the recipe for which I found on a cooking blog that I just came across: Just One Cookbook. This dish got the thumbs up from everyone, including the husband, so I'll be adding it to our regular food menu.

We rounded off dinner with homemade fruit yoghurt popsicles (inspired by yulingxpress -- thanks babe!), after which the munchkins ran around, played with toys and non-toys, and generally had fun the way that kids always know how. Noey had such a great time that when it came time to say goodbye, he gave both Sophie and Zoe big hugs and spontaneously threw in an "I love you!". We parents laughed over how we are rarely the recipients of such exuberance!

In their pretend house.

The last day of the year was just the kind of day I love -- we went out as a family, we met friends, I got to cook a well-received meal, and both the kids and adults got to enjoy good company. The only downer was missing the countdown when I fell asleep before midnight.

In 2012, I am looking forward to more such days. One of the things I would like to focus more on in the coming year is cooking. D's thrown down the gauntlet to me to improve my Chinese cooking and I am taking up the challenge. I've always found the lack of good recipes a challenge when it comes to cooking Chinese but I shall persevere!

I'm not good at making specific resolutions. Instead, I've decided to that the year will be about:
1. Focus
2. Faithfulness
3. Family
4. Food -- by this I am referring to improving my cooking!

We'll see how it goes.

Have a good 2012 everyone.

National Day @ the Ritz

We had a little staycation at the Ritz over the National Day.

I realised that it would be our first break of the year and therefore decided that it was worth it to splurge a bit for a room with a view of the parade and the fireworks. To be honest, I'm not a huge fireworks fan. At least, I'd never brave the crowds, heat, and long waits just to catch fireworks. I do, however, have a soft spot for the National Day Parade. And this time with Noey able to appreciate what was going on, I thought catching the parade would be fun for all of us. (Yes, me included.)

I plumped for the Ritz and was not disappointed. It cost us an arm and a leg, especially with the 2-night minimum, but it was comfortable and the view could not be beat.

Enjoying the unblocked view of the floating platform.

"What are they doing? Where are the soldiers marching to? Why is that boat following that man?"

Various permutations of the questions asked by Noey all day. I think after a while the "Practising for the parade/It's part of the parade" answers probably sunk in.

The kids very quickly making themselves at home.

"Eh, what's this? How about I trade you this cot for that comfy bed?"

The amazing view, by night...

... and by day.
(If it looks early in the morning, it's because it is. Naomi woke up at 7am, waking Noey, and after that no one could sleep.)

"Hey Mummy, you're eating all that nice food for breakfast and all I get is this book?

We invited friends and family over on the 9 Aug to join in the festivities. There were some fears that traffic would be an issue because of the road closures, but happily no one faced any problems. Noey was thrilled to have company, and we all tucked into the crackers and dips and pasta that Sophie and family brought along. This really was the way to watch the parade -- with an unblocked view, in air-conditioned comfort, and plenty to eat and drink!

The 4 kiddos, all ready for the parade.

Noey waving his flag excitedly and YELLING at the top of his voice as the Red Lions came floating down. Easily his favourite part of the show, judging by his reaction.

Here he comes! This was Zoe's favourite as well. "More! More!" she kept saying. 

We all thought at one point that the very first jumper was going to land in the water, but honestly they would never allow that to happen would they?

The fly-past with the flag. It's not apparent from this photo, but the flag is really huge! Noey was very excited about the singing of the National Anthem. They have been teaching the kids how to sing it in school.

The parade all formed up.

We settled down to watch the rest of the drama bits, with the TV on for commentary. In the process, we found out that what you see on TV is about 10 seconds slower than the actual timing. The cool thing about being at the Ritz was that we could throw the kids in the bath and get them ready for bed, and still continue watching the parade, thanks to the picture windows in the toilet! Noey's favourite segment was the one with sea creatures in it. Until the fireworks came on.

"Those fireworks are like sea urchins!" says Noey.

I thought these red ones with the star in the middle were really cool.

Boom, boom, boom!

At that point, I was glad that we were in the room, which muffled the booming of the fireworks, because Noey and Zoe started to get scared after a while. "I don't want the sound!" Noey kept insisting. Sophie enjoyed it thoroughly, and there was not a squeak from Naomi as she watched the whole spectacle. She was probably wondering what was going on!

We also took the opportunity to celebrate the birthdays of the August babies while we were all together.

Happy birthday Zack, DD, Josh & Singapore!

'Twas a good way to spend the break and I'd be lying if I say I'm not thinking about doing it again next year!