Singapore Art Museum (Part 2)

More interesting exibits at the Art Museum -- here they are appreciating the solar powered "flowers" on the wall.....

You may just be able to make out a happy Talia dashing around these "trees" and scribbling on them with the markers provided.....

Happiness is decorating a giant cake for Mummy!

This one must have been Talia's favourite!

Ethan, on the other hand, had a great time building train tracks and watching them run and eventually collide into each other around him.....

They even had a tiny stage where he proudly sang to the rest of the gallery at the top of his voice and did a little joy jig for his Mummy Dearest! They are now big fans of the Museum!

Singapore Art Museum

We went to the Singapore Art Museum with 2 kids and minus 2 wisdom teeth from Daddy's extraction yesterday.

In this special exhibit many things are interactive and you can play with the exhibits. Young children are free but we had to pay $10/adult.

Cooling off

It's been simmering these last few weeks so here we are at the water playground at Nex Mall. The kids are loving it and were thrilled on the train ride up too! Cheap n good fun!

The Apprentice

Daddy has a young apprentice who deeply respects his work and has a keen interest to learn and help out as much as possible. Here they are putting on the finishing touches on a modified bike seat. Like any good apprentice he takes the art of craftsmanship very seriously (look at the face!)

The Poser

Ethan has been striking different poses for photos, finding that he adds variety to the resulting ensemble. We went another "Night Cycling and Satay Outing" during whin Ethan insisted on eating biscuits after the Marina Bay light show cos that's what we did the last time!

Loving It

Guess who just loves her swimming!

A Loving Drive

Our two critters were in a good mood this morning with lots of love and affection for each other. Here they are sharing a single seated Barney car after church... Quite sweet!

Tender Heart

Did you know a little boy can get so sad thinking about missing his Daddy that he throws up? Indeed these sheets look clean now but a short while ago...

We were having a nice bedtime, finished reading, and lying in Daddy's bed waiting for Talia to fall asleep in the kids room. I had earlier told Ethan that Daddy was going to East Timor next week and that I would miss him very much. After a long silence Ethan mournfully said, "I will miss you Dad," and a distressed sadness came over his face. His eyes were glistening and the edges of his mouth drooped down. "Ethan, are you sad?" He nodded as tears dripped down his cheeks. I hugged him and he began weeping, then coughing, then all of a sudden I was covered in penne, cheddar cheese, beef, tomatoes and once roasted vegetables that didn't smell nearly as good as it had 2 hours earlier! What a tender heart...hope he'll be okay while I am away!

Taxi Driver

Our son seems to have a knack for knowing how to relax and look like he is really enjoying himself. Work intensely, play intensely, and relax intensely...he gets this from both mummy and daddy! He does look like a taxi driver napping in his car though...

Dear Talia

Dear Talia,

Today you woke up from your nap with a plaintive cry. "I want Daddy!" you cried. Mummy carried you to me and you calmed down instantly when you put your head on my shoulder and gave me big hug. You stayed there for a long time and I just closed my eyes and soaked in your presence. I wrote to you when you were first born than I would be here to watch over you and protect you my sweetie. I remembered this when I looked at this picture of you holding me. I am so glad that you wanted your Daddy and came ti me. I will be ready for a hug from you any time my dearest daughter. Love,

Daddy

Night Cycling with Ethan

We had a Father-Son outing today specially planned on Daddy's Brompton with the child seat Ethan barely fits in! We set off from home just before 7pm and made our way to Lau Pa Sat where we promptly consumed 7 and 13 sticks of satay. Ethan really loves satay and this famous location does not disappoint!

The last few sticks were gobbled quickly so we could continue cycling to the Marina Bay Sands light show at 8pm which was excellent and great fun. More cycling, eating cookies while watching the skyline and seeing the sights ended a great evening together, though Ethan did have to swallow the news that Daddy is going away next week to East Timor. It was all topped off by night-time cuddles and a sleepy 4 year old who curled up in Daddy's bed to conclude this special night together.

Swim Class

Ethan is now in a Saturday swim class with some other K1 boys. They've
been at it longer than him though, so he has some catching up to do.
The swim coach is an Aussie chap, and Ethan seems to understand his
accent and like the friendly fellow! Here is Ethan at one of his first
few classes with Daddy in the pool with Ethan for the first time.

At The Cross

Ethan took an immediate liking to a gift that Daddy received in his recent Korea trip. He promptly laid the small wooden cross on the bedroom floor, kneeled down an prayed a beautiful prayer to Jesus! I was too slow to get that on photographed, but he tried out a few positions and I managed to take this one saying thank you to Jesus for bringing Daddy home safely.

Sentosa Boardwalk Cycling

It was a drizzly day but we were sure glad we got out and brought the kids with bikes to Sentosa Boardwalk. It's a wonderful stretch and they great fun with the travellators and cycling on the deck, especially on the gentle ramps by the ocean.



The girls were not left out of the fun and Talia did extremely well navigating the wet surfaces and slopes.

Talia's Chopsticks

Talia is just marvelous with her chopsticks! Sometimes it seems like mind over matter as I don't know how she manages to deftly get her food with them. She loves using them and I dare say she is more capable with them than her big brother!

Talia's Brompton Ride

Talia got an early Saturday morning at East Coast Park on Daddy's Brompton with Goo Ma and friends! It was a special Daddy-Daughter outing while Ethan went to Ah Ma's house for the morning. Daddy is particularly pleased with the DIY seat that fits Talia so well and the fact that the kids took to doing separate things without fuss. Talia was very quiet and sleepy the whole ride but otherwise seemed to enjoy the experience. The best part is the increased "Daddy, I love you!" exclamations and signs of affection I got showered with afterwards.

School Together

Talia has started School this year!

Up till now, she had to watch longingly while her brother trooped off to an exciting place called School with Mummy or Daddy while she got left behind. This year she can happily join her brother, while he, of course is pleased with the new company with whom he can now travel with! Here they are on their first day of school.

Of course, things changed once Talia got to school and realized they would be in different classes! She started crying when Ethan went off to his class....and was quite inconsolable for a long time.... It was pretty heartbreaking to see her cry so much especially since most of her other classmates seemed so much calmer! The inevitable "I'm a bad mother" guilt trips & "what could I have done better" thoughts that every mum goes through was emotionally draining but with Ivan's calming effect, we persevered and tried to make school mornings as fun as possible, and by the end of the week, the tears had pretty much cleared up! Phew!

Wasn't able to take many photos of Talia in her first week as she was crying through most of it, but here are a couple of happy moments in that difficult week!

Model Subject

Ethan was so amenable to this haircut that I took this picture with his hairdresser...or should I say "stylist." Both she and I were quite happy with how handsome the model subject turned out. He especially likes getting wax or gel in his hair, spiking it up a little so he looks just like daddy. Very soon any imitation of Daddy's hairstyles will be a distant and embarrassing memory for him!

Afternoon Naps

These afternoon naps are always better in good company. Talia flopped over onto her brother on a lazy Chinese New Year afternoon and both kept right on sleeping.

Saturday Fun

It's a nice Saturday morning with some relax time with the kids as they ride bikes and play together at Duxton Plain Park near our home. Ethan and Talia really love each others company...and Daddy's too of course.

Little Cyclist

Talia has been turning heads wherever she rides cos our neighbors haven't seen such a small girl balancing on a 2 wheeler before. She is just so cute in her helmet and bike. Even though Ethan whizzes by and is very handsome on his bike, Talia still grabs more attention as she scoots along trying catch her brother.

Chip off the Old Block

It was quite some time ago that we dressed Ethan up in his snazzy "Comme Ca" shirt. It even had a tie and pullover interacts into the shirt. We chose Sunday so he looked just like daddy! As you can see, we love each other very much!

It's Just Lunch

It was one of those last minute decisions that turned an ordinary moment into a great memory. It was our day off, so Daddy was at home and Ethan and Talia were about to have their mid-day meal. Why don't we bring the kids' lunch downstairs for a no-fuss picnic?

They rode their toy scooter and tricycle down and we brought a picnic basket and towel for a mat. It was a cool and windy day. "Mmmm... yummy!" They exclaimed as they ate their ordinary porridge and sipped their everyday water bottles. Things always taste better al-fresco! It all lasted only 30 wonderful minutes, but it was the best and simplest lunch-time picnic ever!

Oh yeah, it was a nice change and a sort of mini-lunch-date-with-kids for Mum and Dad!

Better When Smiling

My two boys have lots in common. They both love using their computer and they have furrowed brows ridged with much intensity when concentrating!

When they do look up and smile they look much better! It's hard to figure out how much Ethan copies from his Daddy and how much is just naturally him!

The Urban Playground

Pockets of fun can be had if you are creative and easy going. The kids know no difference between cheap and expensive outings as they just like being together and having fun.

We took our bikes (Daddy's included) and cycled to get a haircut the other day at our friendly neighborhood hair dresser. At the increased $10/adult Chinese New Year price it is still a bargain. While waiting our turn Ethan and Talia frolicked on the not so clean toy outside. I've been teaching Ethan that these can be just as much fun without putting coins in if we make up our own sounds and actions, and Talia is getting in the act too. I think it's much healthier than hankering for coins whenever we come across these ubiquitous playthings.

The Little Traffic Light

There's a unique little traffic light at the bottom of Pearl's Hill that Ethan liked the look of. It only allows cars one of either direction at any one time since the single road going up is so narrow. We parked here on the way home from school to eat our favorite La Mien from northern China, located at a one-man-show, hole-in-the-wall, corner shop in the more easily accessible Pearl's Centre. Ethan eats 2/3 of a bowl while Daddy happily gobbles 1 1/3 bowls!

Marina Bay City Park

Today was a rare Sat morning that we didn't have to work on so we took the kids out for a fun bike ride on Marina Bay! Weather was great and it's such a beautiful bay to explore.... Plus parking at Marina Link Mall is now free for 4 hrs on weekends with any purchase from the mall!

Ethan is now very agile on his bike and Talia surprised us by balancing for about 4-5 secs on a downhill slope! She loves her little bike and is impossible to keep her off it when she sees Ethan riding.

We had a great time cooling off in the air-conditioned comfort of the Marina Bay City Gallery where they loved playing with the interactive display model of the whole Marina Bay area! Here they are sitting below a huge touchscreen which we dubbed the Giant iPhone! There was even a large contingent of design students from Kuala Lumpur who eagerly snapped pictures of Talia on her little bike, cooed "How cute!" and asked me where I got the balance bike from.

Talia's Brompton Bike Seat

I have been having such joy with my Brompton folding bike that I wanted Talia to be able to join me in the fun. After some Internet research I discovered that there were no child seats available for a compact folding bike like mine, but there were some references to people who modified seats to fit on to the front luggage rack!

First, a proof of concept was done my strapping a portable high chair to my front luggage frame. This is an alloy frame that normally holds a bag securely and locks it to a special holder on the bicycle frame. Instead of my normal luggage, I attached my daughter! Talia enjoyed the short ride downstairs very much but this "fabric only" seat was only suitable for a short test. It showed that leg clearance was adequate, Talia sits low and in front in such a way that the centre of gravity makes for very stable riding, and her position does not impede my cycling leg stroke.

I then went to purchase a proper child seat. I settled on an inexpensive $35 seat that suited itself to modification and installation on my Brompton. We did a longer test at East Coast Park (with Talia's helmet - she just doesn't have it on here before the ride) and it was a success!

From a folding bike about which shop owners say, "You can't put a bike seat on that!" to the best bike seat position available! No standard bike could have the benefits of mass distribution, stability of ride, quick seat removal, view of child by adult rider, and excellent view by child that this has! And at less than $40 including modifications! Plus, the seat can even stays on when the bike is folded...amazing Brompton design! It's been so good that I am continuing to improve it with further modifications so more pics and cycling escapades with Talia coming soon! This could be a good Daddy-Daughter activity to do together...

Little Chef

One of Ethan's all time favourite pastimes is cooking! He has an extensive collection of toy salads, meats, breads, desserts, fruits and even ice-creams! The innovative chef also improvises as he goes along, using transparent containers as 'blenders', drawers for 'ovens' and socks as 'oven gloves'! We've slowly been enlisting his & Talia's help for some simple dishes like Chawan Mushi, bread and pizza but we are looking forward to the day he can cook us dinner one night a week!

Good Boy Progress

It's now about 2 months since we put up the Good Boy & Good Girl Chart and we are happy to report significant progress on the toilet training situation! There are still some spills and setbacks during periods of illness or intense concentration, but Ethan really has become a lot better at peeing in the toilet regularly. Ironically he is better at this when we are out of the house! Having a nice new set of handsome underwear also helps as well. However, he still needs adult reminders to go every few hours or after a big drink....so we still need the chart around!

Talia's New Bed

It's not entirely new but Talia's bed has been reconfigured to a child bed with some drilling work. It's now just nice for her to climb in and out of. Ethan and Talia love the new look and they love napping and bedtime together now too.

Chocolate that Reduces Fever

Ethan had a very high fever today. For the past 2 days he has been taking his fever liquid medicine with screams, tears, and yells. Today he went up to 38.6 degrees so I held him and force fed him while he cried and begged me not to do it. It was awful and I felt terrible doing it.

Later in the evening I decided to try something different. I crushed some of my adult ibuprofen and slipped it in my home made mushroom soup. It worked! He lapped up all his soup and his fever went down. When he went to bed, I began my own drug lab to make palatable medicine that he would gladly take at any time. Here is my recipe...

Melt 6 pieces of chocolate in a small bowl. I used Toblerone in my Sharp Supersteam oven. Crush 3 Ibuprofen tablets in a small plastic bag using a mallet or hammer. Mix powder into melted chocolate. Line 6 slots in an ice cube tray with squares of aluminum foil. Spoon chocolate-Ibuprofen mixture into the 6 molds. This provides half an adult dose per chocolate, suitable for children. Set in fridge. When it becomes hard, wrap up the foil and store in labelled container. Serve to feverish children as a lovely treat!

Father and Son: Journeying and Learning

Article I wrote with picture selected for church bulletin:

I learn a lot from my relationship with my now four-year old son. Insights don't usually come automatically, but are the rewards of a change of pace and activity, some slowing down and some reflection.

One insight I had early this year was how my relationship with Ethan made a difference to things deep in my own heart that are there due to my non-existent relationship with my biological father. I wrote these things down to show Ethan one day... to tell him how in some amazing God-orchestrated way, I found healing in giving him the kind of love that I yearned for but never had in my relationship with my Dad. I'm sure this does some good for my relationship with my heavenly Father, but I can't put that in words just yet. I'm just very thankful for God's amazing healing ways, and that we can start new fresh legacies in our families because we have been made new in Christ.

As I write this, I am sitting in Changi Airport with Ethan. He just fell asleep in the stroller as we wait to get on the airplane to Bali. It's a special trip for two reasons. First, it's a reunion of my university Christian fellowship. This was where I first came to know Christ some 18 years ago. Second, I'm taking this 5 days 4 night trip with just Ethan so it's a "Father-Son Trip" as well. Intentionally building relationships, even with our own children, feels like risky business sometimes. Now is one of those times. I have lots of nervous anticipation and excitement about the days ahead without mummy whom we both depend upon so much, often without realizing it or appreciating her. I'm hopeful and prayerful for indelible memories and a deeper bond that will be a cornerstone of the foundation of our father-son relationship in the year ahead. I'm also looking for more learning about myself and Ethan. The kind that comes from thinking about things and reflecting. Writing these words is part of that hopeful and prayerful process that God would teach me, and you reading this, how to be a good father and a good son.