Dinner # 1

My parents in law is away for vacation to Japan from last Thurs to next Sat. I was very blessed to always have dinner cooked & ready when we returned from work. So this week, dinner will be up to me to cook & served!! good thing its the 1 week break!!

We went marketing on Sat morning to buy some fish & meat, decided that veg can be purchased from NTUC instead.

Menu for Sat is Mini beef burger.

I bought the smaller raisine buns instead of the regular seasame burger buns which is too big for kids. Added chopped onions, button mushroom & marinated it with pinch of herbs, salt, corn flour & egg. Instead of the regular round patty, I used the moulds instead & made star, cat, heart & fish shaped patties!! Pretty!!

Ezra was very excited abt his 'cat' patty beef burger which has egg, cucumber, tomatoes button mushroom & cheese & finished all of it! His side dishes are ham & cheese rolls, cherry tomatoe & meshed potato salad!!

I made Jac's with 'heart' patty & aft putting things together, it looks like a butterfly! Pretty! Jac's other burger is too ugly to be displayed!!

Here's my 'star' patty burger!! Yummy!!

Camp Out @ PA

Through some lobangs, we had booked a PA holiday flat at Paris Ris Park from Thurs to Sat. We checked ourselves in on Thurs evening. The humble flat has some adjustment to get use to. Its really small, very much like old HDB 1 rm flat. Once we open the door, its the 'kitchen' with a stove, sink & work area. Opp that is the toilet & shower cubic. As you walk in more, its the living room with sofa, dining table & TV. Next comes the bedroom with 2 single beds.

After settling in most things, we decided to go Terminal 3 for dinner & for Ezra to watch planes. While at T3, Jac some some Art station & got Ezra to do some rubbing. Quite a nice end product.

We went to the viewing mall but was disappointed cos we cant really see the planes due to the double glass panel reflection!! sob sob....

T3 trip turned out to be more of a shopping trip!! A got a doggy pillow for Ezra's car seat. We talked abt wanting to start Ezra on saving, so this milk bottle bank comes in handy! Ezra will be starting sch next term, so we got this strappy water bottle holder for him. While I was doing some shopping at NTUC, Ezra mgt to con daddy to buy him a travel wind & play set which is really quite cool. He plays with this once he gets home!!

We called it a day abt 11pm!!

Got up early on Friday morning & prepared a simple but yummy breakfast. Home made butter cake (by a parent) & snow skin mooncake (by us), peach, banana, coffee & coco milk for Ezra!!

When we were all ready to go out to have fun, it started to rain a little & we had to stay indoors all morning... sob sob. Since it was lunch time & still raining, a ring to yiyi Linda & we are meeting her for lunch near Expo her work place! We went to this cafe called Shine @ Builders Centre. Good food & cheap!!

It was abt 4pm where the rain stopped & OUT we go!! Ezra had never ride on a bicycle so we decided to rent & pillion him on the back. Ezra was a little scared to be sitting on the back but aft distracting him with sights & scenes, he is ok!! He can even make funny faces with daddy!!

The weather was so cooling with the breeze running past us. We mgt to cycle all the way to the other end near Loyang & saw the shipyard. Ezra was really excited to see so many BIG ships!! We got off the bicycles & sat at the breakwaters for a rest.

Next stop is the PLAYGROUND!! Ezra tried his butt on the swing for the 1st time! He did well!! Ezra suddenly became adventurious & tried many new climbers & slides!!

Below are the many climbers he tried & the very high slides, some even had some bumping effects!!

It was strange, Ezra mgt to slide down the high slide 2 times before he moved on to others. But when he came back to the same slide again, he refused to come down & started whinning! Jac was saying that it must be the little pretty girl who was behind him & giving him the motivation & courage!! hahaha

When Ezra spotted the "Big Red" fire engine, he was so excited & ran towards it and jumped into the engine & started driving!!

Jac & Ezra walking across a suspended bridge!! It was rather shaky when I tried to stand on the other end to take pictures & glad that Ezra walked across ok!!

Jac decided to join in the fun!! Remembered Clement doing the same!! Must be mid life crisis for man where they need to re-live childhood moments!!

After the playground, Ezra asked to go to the beach for sand play. So to the beach we go!! We were careful not to let him into the waters cos of the recent report on water contamination!!

He & daddy were trying to build the Great Wall of Paris Ris!! hahaha

Pic 1 : Jac came to the edge of the waters & called out to Ezra "Son, come papa show you some skipping stones!!"

Pic 2 : Jac "Yes yes, you got to slide the stone at one angle, see how papa do it!"

Pic 3 : Jac "Ok now you try, ready follow papa.... 1..2..3.. oops where did the stone go?"

Pic 4 : Jac "Can't never mind, papa show you again...."

Our family photos to remeber this outing!!

Family Gathering @ Linda's Home

We had a super fun time at my elder sis new home @ Calrose It was the 1st time our family gather there, my family even stayed over & went to church together on Sunday.

We did many things there, had a tea party with all the unhealthy snacks, fruits & my piggy eggs. It was wonderful just sitting there, chit chat & see the world goes by. Her home is ground floor with a pretty big patio & we can see people walking up & down. After a while, the kids wants to go for dip. So off they go to the adventure pool. Jac & myself were too comfortable to get wet so Uncle Kwai, Neville & Kerryn took him in the pool. The pool had pretty cool features like slide, bridges & even rocks! Keith mentioned that they should put in some hidges & we can rock climb!!

Nana & Jo went roller blading. Jo was trying to look cool, wave at the camera while on the slope & in split seconds, she was screaming as she is rolling down the slope & fell flat on her butt!! It happen too fast & I was not able to catch her hands or on film but only her wet butt (sorry)

Thats Nan (3rd sis) with Nadine sitting on the rocks. Its sad cos Nan's family will be relocating to Shanghai in Oct & we are going to miss all of them.

After all the activities, we went to Ban Leong at Cassrina for dinner. That place is PACKED!! Good thing Linda called days ahead & made a reservation for 1 big table but all the 16 of us had to squezze into that table, which explains why there were no pic cos totally no space to move!! We had super delicious seafood dinner. Sharkfin soup, chilli & steamed crab(they are HUGE), steam prawns, Teo Chew steamed fish, braised sea cucumber, prawn paste chicken wings, tofu, prawn roll & veg. That was way too much food rite!!

Bento # 3

Since I am home today, I shld try my hands again on bento. The last thai rice did not hold as well so this time I got Jap short grain rice. Cook it in microwave but the results not as tasty. Just checked with Angie if there is seasoning required.

Again copied Meekfreek's cute piggy egg...

Here is the menu... 1) pan-fried Salmon 2) pork balls 3) Jap beans 4) cherry tomato 5) plain rice
Ezra is excited abt his lunch & all ready to EAT!!

I was reading my book on my bed while Ezra was playing on his own besides me. He started playing with our pillows & bloster.

After a while, he called out to me "Mummy, see I am a tortoise!"

Seeing him, putting the pillow on his back, I asked "How come you are tortoise? You are mummy's boy!"

Ezra replied "No, I am tortoise, see my shell!"

Me "Oh yes, you do look like a tortoise!"

After that, he moved on to the bloister, saying "Look mummy, I riding a horse!"
A wild horse indeed!!

Ezra is growing up so fast, he is now very vocal & very much into songs. I noticed that he is starting to use a lot of his imagination & creativity. Take for example, one evening abt 9pm, he is in his PJ, Jac & me working on our PC. He came into the study room & wanted to watch a DVD. Jac told him "No son, its late, its time to bed and to sleep liao. You sleep 1st, after you wake up, you can watch the DVD."

Without a fuss (thats unusual), Ezra walked out of the room. After 10 mins, he came back saying "Daddy, I sleep & wake up already. Now I can watch!"

We burst out laughing & just hugged him tightly & stopped all our work & carried him into our bedroom to sleep.

Funny Faces

Ezra had been up to much mischef lately & showing many funny faces. He is hyper active last evening before bed time & making funny faces with Daddy on the bed.

He even mgt to get hi favourite Nadine jie jie to join him!!

Bento #2

Got up early this morning & was preparing breakfast for oursleves & Ezra cos he is following me to sch & to Yiyi Lydia's place as the kids are home due to PSLE oral.

So dashed out all my tools & started making simple ham & cheese snadwich. While I reaching to get the second slice of bread, something moved in the loaf. On closely look, YUCKS... it was a live lizard!! I sceamed & jumped so high. Jac had to dispose of 'visitor' & whole loaf of sweet bread.

Good thing there is a fresh loaf in the fridge which I toasted & start all over again.

Here is the humble bento breakfast....... Ezra refused to wake up & we left him at home & his bento become Jacky's with an added "J".

"Bento" # 1

Ok call it positive influence which got rubbed off by net friends Angie & Meekfreek... hearing & seeing them created such pretty bentos for their loved ones makes it want to try.

On Monday, Jac was on leave & we decided to go SHOPPING @ Daiso as recommended by Angie. We got quite a few cutters & shapes. That afternoon, while Ezra was sleeping, we did French toast & pancake with special shapes for our dinner at HortPark.

On Tues, I came home early & sms Jac to see if he wants to come back on time & prepare special dinner for the kids. I will cook & he can decorate.

After getting ideas from the ladies, the dinner menu is decided... fried rice with veg, hotdog mouse, hotdog octopus, fried egg & baked chicken wings.

I dont have Jap rice so sms Angie to check with normal Thai rice works? not sure so no harm trying. Well it does not hold together as tightly to be held & eaten so a spoon is needed.

I dont have black seasme, but at the 11th hour, Ezra suddenly took out some black biscuit & I scraped some of the seasame off!!

I remembered Angie asking Meekfreek how to the octupus hotdog. So i tried boiling it water rather than oil & it works beautifully.

Here is the finished works!! The kids were very excited abt the pretty dinner. Here's their story...

Yeah yeah dinner is ready... What!! Need to pose for pictures... ok ok quick quick let's get together FAST... Still got to wait, come on what are we waiting mummy?

The kids are enjoying their 1st 'bento' dinner served on a plate!!

Move the chip!

My mother in law who is a TV addict (just like me) watched a particular Taiwan game show of how they placed a potato chip at the bridge of nose and twitched face muscles to move the chip across face and finally into mouth.

So here is the one she did on our sofa!! It was so funny!! We all had a BIG laugh!!

Homework Time

The 2 jie jies have been given homework to do in the afternoon & Ezra seems to understand homework as something to do with worksheets or work book. I bought him 2 very easy books for colouring & there are stickers for him to peel & stick.

One day when he walked to his Little Tikes table, calling out to me "Mummy, I need to do my homework now."

So out came the book with common items. Started him on the names of the items, got him to find the correct item sticker, showed him the word for the item & asked him to try looking for similar word sticker. He can pick up the item sticker quite easily. I was quite surprised he could stick it in the intended circle pretty nicely.

Here is one of the item he coloured!!

Mini HotPot No More

Cell group was cancelled lats min cos quite a few members cant make it... but Kayun, Flo & our family decide to meet up just for dinner. The venue is a particular mini hot Indo cafe at Tiong Bahru Plaza. We were quite excited & hopeful cos the place was crowded. We ordered 2 mini hotpot, beef with herbal soup & seafood with chicken broth. The pots were really cute.... The hot looks much better than it tasted.. all of us were very disappointed with the food. Even the cooked dishes was a let down & its not extremely cheap. Beach Rd steam boat is so much better!!

When we got out of the rest, there was a queue and we wondered why?

Look!! I can hold cards between my toes!!

I had a $20 gift voucher from Toy R'us & decided to go shopping for some educational toys for Ezra. I mgt to get him this set on matching similar items. Well he is too younger for covered cards for memory game. So all the cards are open & we take turns to find matching pairs.

After a couple of times, he started playing with the cards. He told some cards & hold them between his toes!! He started with 1 on each side, than added more cards!! It was so funny! Don't ask me where did he learn that from!! I told him to be careful in case his little toes cramp!!

Daddy started arranging the cards & spin off some tales for Ezra. The story went something like this.... One day there are a little pigger who wear a watch and went for a ride on the train. There, they met piggy's friend the frog who was wearing an umbrella out on a sunny day! The sun is too hot for Happy Feet & he decided to play on his drums! They saw a ship on at sea & suddenly ...... It was a little far fetch but Ezra enjoyed it anyway!!

Diaperless Nap

I came home last evening & son was still taking his afternoon nap. A quick peek on his cheeks & realised that he is not wearing diapers!! I was surprised & asked my MIL abt it. Apparently, ezra refused to wear diapers before his nap so MIL had no choice & put diaper changing sheet below his little butt!!

He slept since 2.30pm & at 5.00pm, I asked him if he needs to pee pee, he shook his head. At 5.30pm, I checked on him, good still dry so i asked if he needs to pee pee. Again he said no. He woke up at 5.45pm, all dry!! I hugged him tight & told him "Wow, you slept without your diapers & did not pee pee!! Mummy is so impressed with you!" He just nodded his head & said "Yes"

Although this may be a one off incident, not sure if he will still pull off the same today & in future but it is still a BIG move towards diaperless days!! Well done son...

If Yan can cook so can Jac

Last Thursday was my father in law's birthday & Market Place had 50% Aust beef sale. We bought some 1 inch thick rideye for dinner. I marinated the beef with rosemary, onion, pepper, salt. To complete the meal, we had chicken mushroom soup, bacon prawn roll, garlic bread, baked potato & veg salad.... Jac came home & took his place in the kitchen.... He even got those flames burning in the frying pan!!

The beef is really of very good cut & was so tasty & tender. It was a very good dinner.... but major cleaning up was required aft dinner!!

Beef with potato & soup

Tasty grilled bacon prawn