Last night we had dinner together with Chai and HT.
It was really great having them back home.
What was really funny was the way the kids were. The 2 were like international celebrities. It was the homecoming of Princess HT and Prince Chai. The 3 older girls were really taken with HT's white wedding gown when she walked down the aisle. Annika had already announced then that she "wanted a pretty dress" like that.
So the kids were all over the couple before and during dinner! Especially Madison and Elizabeth. Vying for attention from the 2 of them.
I doubt the excitement would last terribly long, perhaps until the weddings are all over?
The Malaysian wedding lunch is being held this Sunday and the Singapore one will follow next Sunday. Fortunately the kids aren't needed as flower girls at the 2 functions, so we can relax, attend the function and have a great meal!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
First lazy weekend in a long time
This weekend that just passed was remarkably relaxing.
Warni had her scheduled day off so we were left to our devices for the day.
It was nice that we had nothing else planned for the day so we didn't have to rush the kids around.
In the morning, we took the kids downstairs for a swim, then to the driving range for Madison to practice her golf swing with Chris. The swim made the kids hungry, so lunch was at the Canopy cafe at the golf course. We are boring people; we basically ordered the same meal as before everytime! Carbonara pasta for Annika and me, club sandwich for Chris and a ham and cheese sandwich for Madison.
The best part of the day was our super long afternoon nap. The kids were hankering to go home after lunch, so we did! Annika was the only one who was supposed to nap, but I think we were all still recovering from Melbourne so it wound up that everyone got a nap. Chris was with the 2 girls; I got to snag the master bedroom with TV. I think we were out for a good 2.5 hours.
I was so reluctant to get out of bed and continue with the day! But.. kids being kids, the nap refreshed them and it wasn't long before they started getting antsy.
So we went downstairs to the pool again. The pool is great for burning off their energy. They fight less, and they eat and sleep well afterwards. There were a few kids this time at the pool, so that kept Madison occupied.
Dinner time followed, to keep it simple we went out for a meal. ( rather than slave in the kitchen and have the kids not want to eat!) We went to Lao Beijing at Novena Square- another tried and tested restaurant with the kids. It was great. The kids behaved relatively well, we had a nice family meal. I guess it's also important to bring the kids out for meals once in awhile to get them accustomed to eating outside with us. Especially since we like eating out.
We couldn't end the day without ice cream, so Baskin Robbins got our money.
The outing ended with a supermarket visit ( to buy more ice cream and dairy!) then bedtime!
I really couldn't ask for a better day... it would be nice to have a predictable and relaxing weekend every week!
Warni had her scheduled day off so we were left to our devices for the day.
It was nice that we had nothing else planned for the day so we didn't have to rush the kids around.
In the morning, we took the kids downstairs for a swim, then to the driving range for Madison to practice her golf swing with Chris. The swim made the kids hungry, so lunch was at the Canopy cafe at the golf course. We are boring people; we basically ordered the same meal as before everytime! Carbonara pasta for Annika and me, club sandwich for Chris and a ham and cheese sandwich for Madison.
The best part of the day was our super long afternoon nap. The kids were hankering to go home after lunch, so we did! Annika was the only one who was supposed to nap, but I think we were all still recovering from Melbourne so it wound up that everyone got a nap. Chris was with the 2 girls; I got to snag the master bedroom with TV. I think we were out for a good 2.5 hours.
I was so reluctant to get out of bed and continue with the day! But.. kids being kids, the nap refreshed them and it wasn't long before they started getting antsy.
So we went downstairs to the pool again. The pool is great for burning off their energy. They fight less, and they eat and sleep well afterwards. There were a few kids this time at the pool, so that kept Madison occupied.
Dinner time followed, to keep it simple we went out for a meal. ( rather than slave in the kitchen and have the kids not want to eat!) We went to Lao Beijing at Novena Square- another tried and tested restaurant with the kids. It was great. The kids behaved relatively well, we had a nice family meal. I guess it's also important to bring the kids out for meals once in awhile to get them accustomed to eating outside with us. Especially since we like eating out.
We couldn't end the day without ice cream, so Baskin Robbins got our money.
The outing ended with a supermarket visit ( to buy more ice cream and dairy!) then bedtime!
I really couldn't ask for a better day... it would be nice to have a predictable and relaxing weekend every week!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Chai's April
This month is dedicated to my lil brother.
He comes home after being away for the past 6 years studying and working in medicine.
When he left in 2006, he was seeing another girl and had just completed his stint in the army.
Now he returns as a junior doctor and married to a different girl.
They organised a wedding in Melbourne over the Easter weekend. They are spending the next 2 weekends having wedding lunches in Singapore and Malaysia.
I think the honeymoon is going to be in the Maldives, and then they start work in Singapore soon afterwards in May.
The only thing that's not complete is the old Novena house.. construction has been severely delayed and there are still ongoing issues that will see further delays. It was supposed to have been completed by February but at the rate that it's moving we'll be lucky to have Christmas dinner in the house.
In the meantime Chai and HT will be renting an apartment close by. The location is actually great: it's directly opposite Novena and United Square shopping malls!
I think the most interesting part would be our evening meals together... we'd have to cater for 11 adults and 4 children every day!
He comes home after being away for the past 6 years studying and working in medicine.
When he left in 2006, he was seeing another girl and had just completed his stint in the army.
Now he returns as a junior doctor and married to a different girl.
They organised a wedding in Melbourne over the Easter weekend. They are spending the next 2 weekends having wedding lunches in Singapore and Malaysia.
I think the honeymoon is going to be in the Maldives, and then they start work in Singapore soon afterwards in May.
The only thing that's not complete is the old Novena house.. construction has been severely delayed and there are still ongoing issues that will see further delays. It was supposed to have been completed by February but at the rate that it's moving we'll be lucky to have Christmas dinner in the house.
In the meantime Chai and HT will be renting an apartment close by. The location is actually great: it's directly opposite Novena and United Square shopping malls!
I think the most interesting part would be our evening meals together... we'd have to cater for 11 adults and 4 children every day!
Friday, April 5, 2013
My lil brothers' wedding
My little brother got married in Melbourne over the last weekend.
We flew up to Melbourne on the 26th of March, arriving the next day. The flight was surprisingly good! It took just over 6 hours to get there and the kids slept through most of it.
We were quite a large entourage: 6 adults and 4 kids. My dad rented a car at the airport and we were met by my brother and his fiancee. It took over an hour to sort everything out.
The first day we spent settling in. We had a yum cha lunch at Sharkfin House for the extended family. After lunch we split up into smaller groups. On our side we took the kids to the Melbourne Museum to see the dinosaur exhibits that Madison had been wanting to see. It was marvelous! They had life sized dinosaur bones aplently! There were also other exhibits that ranged from historic relics to animal life.
The next day I got to go shopping! Chris, Anthony and the grandma took the kids to Scienceworks museum. I think they had fun there too.. but I certainly enjoyed my day out. Visited the Queen Victoria Market, walked down to the CBD and visited a few old haunts. Forgotten what Melbourne weather was like though! I walked down in a sleeveless top and capris because the day started out warm and sunny, but by the time I got to the city it started to turn cloudy, cold and wet!
Chai organised dinner for the wedding party. He booked 9 Peking ducks for dinner! We got to meet the extended family: MH mum and sisters, Chai's fiancee's family ( who had just arrived from Malaysia), Chris' brother and mum. He had a few friends that flew in from Singapore for the wedding too; presumably they were the groomsmen.
The next day we travelled down to the Mornington Peninsula. Chai and HT booked a place called Summerfield's for the wedding. It is a beautiful country house set in picturesque grounds. By the time we got there they were busy setting up. The kids were also involved in the wedding rehearsal as flower girls.
The wedding was held on the 30th March, Easter Saturday. It started with a traditional tea ceremony right after lunch. Chai and HT served the elders tea, followed by them being served tea by the kids.
After the tea ceremony the wedding couple took professional pictures around the estate while the site for the Christian ceremony was set up. The kids had another rehearsal. As the time for the ceremony drew closer, the sky got darker... and it started to rain just minutes before the ceremony was supposed to occur!
But.. the wedding couple was truly blessed.. in 30 minutes the rain stopped temporarily, just long enough for the ceremony to be held. It was a beautiful ceremony. They had a live singer and guitarist to play during the ceremony.
Towards the end of the ceremony it started to rain again... everyone rushed back into the house and the canapes and drinks were ready to be served.
The ceremony was followed soon after by a 3 course dinner. The reception was so prettily decorated! There were flowers everywhere, and the focal point was a decorated bird cage in the middle of each dining table.
They had a 3 piece band at dinner that entertained continuously till close to midnight. Chai and HT presented a dance to the dinner crowd just before dessert was served. After which they invited the rest of the guests to the dance floor. And to my surprise.. my dear Madison was such a party animal! She and Elizabeth took to the dance floor... and were shaking their booty with a guy waaayyy older than them. Whom I was told was already drunk!
The next day we were all invited to a post wedding brunch at the wedding house. It was really beautiful too. They had a long table set up for over 20 people, and we were served a 3 course brunch with champagne. By the time we were done it was midday.
We took the kids to Gunnamata to ride ponies, before driving back to Melbourne for dinner.
The last 2 days were spent pottering around Melbourne; we paid a visit to Barbeques Galore where my parents bought a massive outdoor gas BBQ pit for just under AUD $1700, and an outdoor dining set for another $1300. These were to be shipped back with my brother's stuff.
The flight back to Singapore was completely different. It was packed with kids... mostly screaming and fussing all the way back. The flight was also delayed taking off. We were supposed to have arrived at 2045h but landed close to 2130h. By the time we cleared immigration, caught a taxi and arrived home it was almost midnight.
I can't believe how time flies though.. the wedding is officially over and my brother will be back for good this weekend with his wife! I think my mum is really happy and excited for this...
We flew up to Melbourne on the 26th of March, arriving the next day. The flight was surprisingly good! It took just over 6 hours to get there and the kids slept through most of it.
We were quite a large entourage: 6 adults and 4 kids. My dad rented a car at the airport and we were met by my brother and his fiancee. It took over an hour to sort everything out.
The first day we spent settling in. We had a yum cha lunch at Sharkfin House for the extended family. After lunch we split up into smaller groups. On our side we took the kids to the Melbourne Museum to see the dinosaur exhibits that Madison had been wanting to see. It was marvelous! They had life sized dinosaur bones aplently! There were also other exhibits that ranged from historic relics to animal life.
The next day I got to go shopping! Chris, Anthony and the grandma took the kids to Scienceworks museum. I think they had fun there too.. but I certainly enjoyed my day out. Visited the Queen Victoria Market, walked down to the CBD and visited a few old haunts. Forgotten what Melbourne weather was like though! I walked down in a sleeveless top and capris because the day started out warm and sunny, but by the time I got to the city it started to turn cloudy, cold and wet!
Chai organised dinner for the wedding party. He booked 9 Peking ducks for dinner! We got to meet the extended family: MH mum and sisters, Chai's fiancee's family ( who had just arrived from Malaysia), Chris' brother and mum. He had a few friends that flew in from Singapore for the wedding too; presumably they were the groomsmen.
The next day we travelled down to the Mornington Peninsula. Chai and HT booked a place called Summerfield's for the wedding. It is a beautiful country house set in picturesque grounds. By the time we got there they were busy setting up. The kids were also involved in the wedding rehearsal as flower girls.
The wedding was held on the 30th March, Easter Saturday. It started with a traditional tea ceremony right after lunch. Chai and HT served the elders tea, followed by them being served tea by the kids.
After the tea ceremony the wedding couple took professional pictures around the estate while the site for the Christian ceremony was set up. The kids had another rehearsal. As the time for the ceremony drew closer, the sky got darker... and it started to rain just minutes before the ceremony was supposed to occur!
But.. the wedding couple was truly blessed.. in 30 minutes the rain stopped temporarily, just long enough for the ceremony to be held. It was a beautiful ceremony. They had a live singer and guitarist to play during the ceremony.
Towards the end of the ceremony it started to rain again... everyone rushed back into the house and the canapes and drinks were ready to be served.
The ceremony was followed soon after by a 3 course dinner. The reception was so prettily decorated! There were flowers everywhere, and the focal point was a decorated bird cage in the middle of each dining table.
They had a 3 piece band at dinner that entertained continuously till close to midnight. Chai and HT presented a dance to the dinner crowd just before dessert was served. After which they invited the rest of the guests to the dance floor. And to my surprise.. my dear Madison was such a party animal! She and Elizabeth took to the dance floor... and were shaking their booty with a guy waaayyy older than them. Whom I was told was already drunk!
The next day we were all invited to a post wedding brunch at the wedding house. It was really beautiful too. They had a long table set up for over 20 people, and we were served a 3 course brunch with champagne. By the time we were done it was midday.
We took the kids to Gunnamata to ride ponies, before driving back to Melbourne for dinner.
The last 2 days were spent pottering around Melbourne; we paid a visit to Barbeques Galore where my parents bought a massive outdoor gas BBQ pit for just under AUD $1700, and an outdoor dining set for another $1300. These were to be shipped back with my brother's stuff.
The flight back to Singapore was completely different. It was packed with kids... mostly screaming and fussing all the way back. The flight was also delayed taking off. We were supposed to have arrived at 2045h but landed close to 2130h. By the time we cleared immigration, caught a taxi and arrived home it was almost midnight.
I can't believe how time flies though.. the wedding is officially over and my brother will be back for good this weekend with his wife! I think my mum is really happy and excited for this...
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