a spot of singapore, picture perfect

Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

Our weekends are finally returning to some form of normalcy and by that I mean that we’ve resumed our regular Sunday brunches, this time at the Botanic Gardens. It’s a nice routine, being out for some fresh air and wide open spaces with the kids. We’ve missed this.

IMG 4245 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

IMG 4249 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

PastedGraphic 1 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

On the menu that morning was also a third attempt to check out the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden. The past two times, locating it proved to be an elusive affair. Apparently it’s within walking distance from the Visitor’s Centre but since my definition of walking distance is decidedly shorter than most people when we have 2 kids in tow, we went for the driving option instead. But the carpark is tucked away inside another carpark and we all got a little impatient and gave up after circling round the Bukit Timah area. Twice.

This time, with a little bit of determination and a map, we finally found it (Use the NUS carpark entrance if you’re looking for it – it’s not listed at the entrance but that’s the right one). In addition to a flower trail and pond, there was also a water play and sand play area with a playground. Ok, as far as playgrounds go, this one wasn’t as impressive as the one at Pasir Ris Park but still, nice enough.

IMG 43361 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

IMG 4321 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

IMG 4348 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

PastedGraphic 2 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

Till this day, I still get all icky about sand but I’m glad baby girl has outgrown that phase. She was happily shoving sand into her shorts and diapers while I watched in horror because momma’s going to be the one cleaning sand bits from between the folds of her thighs.

IMG 4358 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

IMG 4416 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

IMG 4376 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

They rounded it up with some water play (don’t do the water before the sand – all you will get is muah chee) to cool down a little. All the other kids came decked in their swim gear but we had no idea there even was a water play area so we took off Tru’s top and Kirsten’s shorts before setting them loose.

The next time we go, we’ll definitely prep their swim stuff and a bunch of water toys.

IMG 4501 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

IMG 4554 Back to the Botanics and a visit to Jacob Ballas

blogging about blogging

Thanks Google, but really not helping

I got an email this afternoon from a lovely lady who is a long-time reader of the blog. She was both baffled and a little concerned that while doing her usual search for “mother inc” on Google, the top hit was a link describing a porn site.

I’m guessing it was describing porn because it’s got the words sex + video in them, so unless it’s like one of those educational videos employing the artful use of vegetables, I’m pretty certain I’m right.

Obviously I was all “no way, that’s bizarre” and went to google it and true enough, it was right there, except that my description was slightly different, containing several words that cannot be replicated on this blog for reasons that are fairly obvious. Then I made the husband google it too and his version was also different from mine. And he was like “maybe google is trying to help you drive traffic and you should thank them, you know how porn sites always have exceptional traffic.”

So now if you google ‘”motherinc.org”, it’ll be like you’re taking part in a lucky dip, only instead of winning anything of real value, you get to stick your hand into a grab bag of very bad porn-related words. I highly recommend not doing it.

Although I just realized that now, Google will be able to link to this post and say “aha, you actually did say porn, sex and video…PWN!” and it would indeed be legitimate. Nice move, Google.

PS. Also, don’t be alarmed if you see a description for porn linking here. It’s all part of the plan. Which is another way of saying I don’t have the foggiest idea what to do about it.

precious moments

The half blanket that stole my heart

While snuggling with Truett this morning, I casually asked him if he would give his blanket to me so I could sleep well. His answer was a quick and firm no. Then I asked him if he could share half his blanket with me – I didn’t need the whole thing, just half would do.

He sucked his thumb and was silent for a long time, then shook his head ever so slightly in his typical noncommittal fashion.

So I left it at that because it wasn’t his blanket that I wanted anyway.

After a while, he slipped out of the room and came back a minute later with a pair of scissors, causing me to overreact because the last time he held a pair of scissors, he butchered his sister’s hair. “You can’t play with the scissors, Tru, it’s very dangerous, go put it back!”

“It’s for you, mommy. You can cut Truett’s blankie so mommy gets half and Truett gets half then we can both sleep very well.”

That was way better than anything I was hoping for.