Botanic Gardens

This afternoon, we finally visited the Botanic Gardens...specifically, the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. When we arrived, we had no idea how big the place was!! The walk from the main entrance to the children's garden was long and very, very hot!

So. here we are by the entrance.

Juliana took off as soon as we put her down, exploring the trees, picking up the leaves and playing in the grass.

One of her new favorite things to do is pick up flowers off the ground, smell them and hold them. This was just a random flower she picked up off the walkway...As you've noticed, I enjoy taking pictures of Juliana walking along with her daddy!! She's always pointing things out to him along the way.

Along the way, we passed through a bunch of other little gardens including the fruit trees and Eco garden. Finally, we arrived at the Children's Garden...and by that time, Juliana was pooped from all the walking and the heat! But she still thoroughly enjoyed the sights.The best part was that there was a section with miniature tables, chairs, trees, etc. She sat down with Pooh to enjoy the gardens!!

Shortly afterwards, the rain clouds rolled in and we had a downpour...fortunately, we got under cover quickly. It was a nice afternoon though and I would love to return to visit other parts of the garden.

MOPS

Yesterday morning, Juliana and I attended our first MOPS get together. It was held at the International Baptist Church, so we had to take a cab. MOPS, for those of you who don't know already, stands for Mothers of Preschoolers and is apparently pretty well known in the States. I only found out about it here from a friend that joined and decided to give it a try. Seemed like a great opportunity for meeting other moms out here, for Juliana to spend time with other children and it provides an opportunity for fellowship as well.

Well, it was wonderful!! As soon as we got to IBC, I dropped Juliana off in the children's room and after a few brief moments of clinging to me, she ran off to check out all of the toys. I gave her a kiss and headed off to the other room to meet the women. It was a lot nicer than I had anticipated and a fairly large group of mothers in attendance. I was put into the "tilt a whirl" group...as explained, this year's theme is the roller coaster of parenting. So, the meeting started off with an ice breaker to get to know the women in our group and let everyone know how many children we had. Besides myself and one other women, each mother in this group had either 3 or 4 children, so I already felt like I had so much to learn from them!

After finishing up the ice breaker and hearing from one of the mentor moms give a short talk, we all sat together to listen to the panel of mentor moms answer questions about parenting. I really enjoyed the entire meeting and took lots of notes of course on all of their answers. One of the topics that came up was potty training, so they talked about all kinds of different tips and tricks that may or may not work with Juliana.

All around, I'm so glad we went and Juliana seemed to have a lot of fun playing with the other kids as well. When I went to pick her up, one of the women said, "Juliana is very busy!" She had a big smile on her face when she saw me, but didn't seem to want to give up the room full of new toys and play mates! The group is every first and third Tuesday of the month, so I signed us up for the rest of the term. It will be a nice, free, social outing for both Juliana and I to look forward to!

The weekend

It was another nice and relaxing weekend. Jacob didn't have to work on Saturday morning for the first time in a few weeks and I was home for the day as well. We spent the day playing with Juliana and taking her swimming.


Yesterday morning, we went to mass and noticed that St. Francis offers morning fellowship just like the church we attended back in the U.S. Their version of "coffee and donuts" is fried chicken wings, satay, noodles and other local foods. Not really our thing, so we skipped this and came back home.

After lunch and Juliana's nap, we headed over to IMM for a little bit, mainly just to go for a walk and get out of the apartment. Juliana was overwhelmed when we got to the water playground, because there were a lot of kids there of all different ages. She didn't end up spending much time in the water, which is very unlike her. For dinner, we had some friends over and got take out from Botak Jones.

A recent personal matter has once again reminded me how very important it is to make the most of every moment, even the ones we think are insignificant. Juliana is my daily reminder that life is a gift, not to be taken for granted. There are times when I get caught up in the chaos or preoccupied with someone or something that is causing strife in my life. I end up wasting time on these matters rather than simply enjoying the blessings in my life and the loved ones that make it so enjoyable. I'm starting to believe more in the saying, "God doesn't give us any more than we can handle." He certainly likes to present us with challenges and test our character, but he also equips us with exactly what we need to overcome each obstacle and learn from our past.

Still having fun, even with the rain

It's been raining quite a bit the last several days, so we've been keeping busy indoors. Yesterday, we returned to fidgets with some friends and Juliana had a ball. She played in the big kid area this time!!

Today, Juliana was feeling a bit under the weather with a runny nose and cough, so she wasn't up for much. So, we made the best of being inside...She discovered a new hat!And after it finished pouring, we went out on the terrace. Juliana had fun emptying her play table...

And after getting wet outside, we came back in to relax, read some books and practice her numbers and letters.

She was especially tired today, since she didn't sleep too well last night, but that never seems to stop her!! Endless amounts of energy. She simply sits on the couch for a few minutes to rest and then gets back up to run around again. I wish I had her energy...imagine what I could get done in a day!!!

Changi

Today, our landlords and their two daughters picked us up for a nice day out! First, they brought us to their club for some lunch. Last time we were there, it was night time, so we didn't get to see how beautiful the club was. The golf course is gorgeous and there are so many different activities, such as an Olympic size pool, an indoor playground, a bowling alley, and much more. Here's the view from where we ate...

And Juliana enjoying her lunch...After finishing up, we piled back into the car to drive to the East side of the Island. While it rained for a bit, we stopped at the other IKEA and by the time we ended up in Changi, the rain had stopped and the sky started to clear. It ended up being a beautiful, sunny afternoon for the kids to enjoy some time on the beach. Here are the girls carrying their beach bag...We weren't fully prepared for the beach, so we had to strip Juliana down to her diaper and shorts, but she didn't seem to care. As long as she got to play in the sand and water, she was happy! We collected some shells off the beach and helped build some sand castles. I think Juliana would have jumped right into the water if we had let her!

Juliana also couldn't get enough of the sand. She kept sitting down and throwing the sand up in the air. Her whole body was caked in it by the time we were done!!

We were so happy that the sun came out again this afternoon in order to enjoy the beach. I wish we could have stayed longer, but Juliana was getting pretty tired. As always, we had a wonderful time with our landlords and their daughters. Juliana adores all of them and likes to watch the two girls play!

Kindermusik

Just a few pictures to share from Kindermusik. Juliana just started the "Do-si-do" term!

And her favorite, the drums!

Fun fun fun

Yesterday, Juliana and I had a wonderful day together. I didn't have to work, there were no classes or play dates, so it was a nice mother/daughter day! I took Juliana swimming and she seems to be getting more stable in the water. We do have a float and arm cuffs for her, but she does well without either of them in the kiddie pool. She can walk around in the water now without support and for the most part, does very well. Her favorite thing to do now is climb up the stairs of the water playground and run back and forth. Eventually, she puts her arms out for me to help her "jump" into the water. Ever since learning how to at her swim class, she enjoys jumping into the water. So, I sing the song, "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall...humpty dumpty had a great fall..." and then she jumps in. She also found two balls in the water that were apparently left behind by some other kids and she thoroughly enjoyed giving them to me to toss for her to swim after.

After lots of swimming and then a snack, Juliana was so tired. She cuddled up on the couch with me to watch a little Playhouse Disney before her nap.

After lunch and her nap, we headed to Jurong point just to walk around and get out of the apartment for a while. Unfortunately, I didn't get any good pictures, but she was wearing the most adorable pink skirt with hearts all over it. She must have been proud of it, because she kept grabbing it and shaking it around for everyone to see!!

After a rough night, Juliana was exhausted today. I'm hoping it has to do with her other cuspid trying to break through her gums. Anyway, I just wanted to share a few pictures of Juliana playing out on the terrace with Jean. Her picnic table from my mom turns over to become a rocker...

And she was enjoying the water/sand play table she received a few weeks ago. Although right now, it's just water since I haven't located any play sand for it.It's always so amazing to see how happy she is with Jean. We truly got lucky in finding her, because she simply adores Juliana and we feel comfortable and safe with leaving Juliana in her care. She also spends a lot of time on the alphabet, numbers, animals and other things we've been trying to teach Juliana.

So, nothing too exciting to report otherwise. Juliana is our main source of entertainment, especially with all of the dancing and chatting she has been doing lately. We have been planning some other play dates for the next couple of weeks...inexpensive ways to get out of the house and have fun with some other children!!

Simply amazing

Days like today remind me of how lucky I am...

Juliana and I headed to IMM for the water park, since it's been a while. As soon as I mentioned it, she seemed to know what I was talking about! We walked around a little bit in the mall and then as soon as she saw the park, a big smile spread across her face. I could barely keep her still long enough to get her little swimmer and bathing suit on!Eventually, I could tell she was getting pretty tired, even though she didn't seem to want to give in. But the fun had to end at some point in order to grab some lunch. Although her appetite has been up and down lately, she ate a very good lunch! We did a little walking around and picked up a gift and card for Jean's birthday before heading back home.

The last few weeks have been much busier than I anticipated and it didn't quite hit me until this week how lucky I've been feeling lately. Yes, things are stressful with finances and not knowing what to expect with the economy, but there's no point in stressing about it. We simply can't do anything about it, so I've been trying hard to simply allow myself to be present in the moment. Whenever I am able to block out the past & worries about the future, I am amazed at how much I notice. Juliana has been changing so much in the last few weeks and every time I stress, I miss something new and important with her. I love watching her explore, try to say new words, run to Jacob at the end of the day and give me kisses when I get back from being at work. She simply amazes me and reminds me how precious life is.

A few mornings ago, we were on skype with my mother and grandmother and Juliana was absolutely adorable! She was dancing for them, turning in circles, chatting up a storm, trying on her Ariel sunglasses, cooking and trying to feed them...I was sad when we hung up. Her personality is so bold and beautiful, I get emotional when I see how much my mom and grandmother light up when they watch her. I just wish the distance wasn't quite so far and that we could visit. But again, it's another little reminder of how much we should appreciate what we have and for all of the blessings in our life. We tend to take everything and everyone for granted, life passes us by and before we know it, we have regrets and we've missed the chance to enjoy our loved ones and whatever opportunities life has to offer. I don't expect myself to completely change who I am, but I do hope that I can continue to learn more about myself and what is truly important in my life.

God bless everyone...

Valentine's Day

Our Valentine's Day was nothing all that great, but we have never really bought into the holiday much anyway. Jacob had to work in the morning and I had to work in the afternoon. One thing that was good is that I had to schedule a make up class for Little Gym since Juliana was sick a couple weeks ago and I made it for a Saturday so that she could go with Jacob. They had the class last night...I wish I had been able to go and watch, but since I had to work, I only got to see the last few minutes of them singing the goodbye song. Jacob said he had such a good time watching Juliana and how much fun she has at the gym. She learned how to do a backward roll and how to walk backwards on the beam. She's also catching on more to the songs they sing and how to put away the balls and instruments when they're done. I'm glad Jacob finally got to participate in a class with her!!

After gym class, we went to dinner as a family for our Valentine's Day at Tony Roma's off Orchard road. It was a very good dinner and even though it's supposed to be a couple's holiday, I couldn't imagine spending it without Juliana! For the holiday, there were people dressed up as cupids walking up and down Orchard road selling roses, fake flowers and balloons, so I got Juliana a flower, which she seemed to enjoy! She kept smelling it and holding it up for Jacob and I to smell!And here's a picture of Juliana thoroughly enjoying her corn on the cob...

For the upcoming week, we have a couple of play dates and I have some more new students to teach. The job is good so far, although I still wish it was more hours and that I could see the same students on a regular basis. Each week, I see different students, so it makes it hard to know what to do with them, since I have no idea what they're looking to learn or what other teachers have covered with them. I think it would be easier for students to work with the same teacher on a regular basis to maintain consistency and be more productive in their language skills.

On another note, thank you to everyone for reading my blog and especially to those of you who have signed up a follower. I'm already listed on one expat site and I recently was contacted by another, so it certainly helps to have visitors and more followers. I enjoy writing and look for any feedback or questions to help me decided what to write about! Hope everyone is doing well!

Swim lesson

This morning was Juliana's swim lesson. We arrived early, so she got to watch one of the classes before us and was dying to get into the water. She kept getting upset with me since I wouldn't let her into the water! Finally, 10:00 rolled around and we could jump in the pool. There were two other kids that were taking a trial class as well, so she wasn't the only newbie.

The class started with "If you're happy and you know it" and the instructor had them kicking, splashing the water, blowing bubbles, lying on their backs and going in circles around the moms. Then, he placed kick boards up on the edge of the pool for them to grab and kick their way back to him to return the kick boards. Juliana is only beginning to understand the concept of kicking, but enjoying using the kick board. She got so excited each time she reached the instructor and got congratulated on her swimming.

What I liked most about the class is that it was a lot of fun for the kids, with different songs and activities. I decided not to sign her up though, because I feel as though I can easily teach Juliana all of the same stuff at the pool here. I picked up a kick board this afternoon and we spent a bit more time in the water. I know she would benefit from classes, but for now, we're going to have our own private lessons!

Jurong Bird Park

We had another wonderful afternoon, exploring Jurong Bird Park, which is only a five minute ride from our place. This is a 20.2 hectare open-concept park, which is the largest in the Asia Pacific and the best in the world. There are over 8,000 birds from 600 different species with numerous shows and exhibits.

We stopped in to see the penguins first, before getting on the monorail. Juliana enjoyed watching the penguins swim around and look at themselves in the mirror. We then boarded the monorail and our first stop was the African Waterfall Aviary, the world's largest of its kind. It was breathtaking to see and the pictures simply don't do it any justice.
After a light snack for Juliana and lots of water (it was very hot!), we headed towards the water walkway to see some of the other birds.
Juliana was very interested in the swans and practically fell in the water trying to grab them!

And there was a ton of beautiful flamingos. We also visited the World of Darkness, featuring nine different species of owls in a nocturnal house and the Birds of Prey, which was different types of eagles and vultures. Jacob got to see his favorite animal, the bald eagle, up close and personal!
This was a life size bird cage that Juliana was in...she was very confused, but still smiling...
And this picture was absolutely adorable!! Juliana decided to stop and smell the flowers!

It wasn't quite as large as we were expecting, but definitely worth visiting. Juliana seemed to really enjoy all of the different species of birds!!

...and little musician!

Today was the final Kindermusik class for this term...the next term is called Do-si-do, which apparently is focused at getting the children to move around more and experience different types of music and dancing.

One of the great things about the Kindermusik class is that they try to teach children how to stay in a group, which is very difficult with Juliana. But, since the first class until now, I've noticed that she is getting a little better at it. I don't know that she will be capable of sitting still for any stretch of time, but I still try to encourage her to sit in the circle with the rest of the kids.

In the beginning of the class, they get to play with the balls while waiting for everyone to show up. She is getting very good at throwing the ball now and even hit a couple of the other kids in teh head a few times. Luckily, the balls are nice and soft and most of the time, the others kids either laugh or don't even notice!.

After some music, with maracas and other instruments, we did some dancing and then moved on to the drums. Juliana is always so interested in what's going on around her! I think she was eyeing one of the other drums in the picture below. Fortunately, as the song goes on, we pass the drums around, so everyone gets a chance to play each one.

Juliana seems to enjoy playing with the feathers! The teacher has them use the feather to "tickle" their feet, stomach, chin, face, etc. Then we throw them up in the air and watch as they fall. Juliana finds that part hilarious!Although she enjoys the gym classes a lot more, Juliana seems to like the music classes, so for now, we're going to keep attending. It's a different group of kids for her to interact with and the Do-si-do term sounds like a lot of fun for her.

On another note...I recently got a part-time job at a language school...yay! Not sure how many hours it will end up being just yet, but it's a start. The students are mostly Japanese business men and some business women or housewives who are looking to improve their English speaking skills. In Japan as well as China, children learn the English language at a very young age. The problem is that they learn how to read and write in English, but there isn't much time devoted to learning how to speak English, so their verbal skills tend to be weak. I will be working with students on their communication skills in a 1:1 class or at times, 1:2 class. I'm hoping that it works out to be enough hours every week, but we'll see as things develop. I had my first student last night and I truly enjoyed it! In the mean time, I'm still going to keep looking around and finishing up my coursework on the third class I signed up for.

My little gymnast!

Hello everyone! Juliana has been busy lately. Yesterday was her gymnastics class, which we had missed last week due to her fever. She always has so much fun at this class and gets to run around! This week, Juliana got to work on her forward rolls more, hang on the bars and play on the beam. I especially enjoy watching her on the beam, since that used to be my favorite part of gymnastics and also my strongest skill.

Here is Juliana at the beginning of the class, singing the Hello song and playing some music...

This is the instructor (and Jean behind her) helping Juliana hang from the bars. She is still very hesitant on the bars, but is slowly getting more used to it. On the beam, she got to sit down, stand up, do the wheel barrow and even tried a forward roll!! She concentrates so hard, so she always has a serious face!

And practicing her basketball skills...slam dunk.

At the end of every class, the teacher blows bubbles for the kids. They are learning the sign for bubbles as well. Juliana enjoys trying to pop them before they hit the ground.

I signed Juliana up to continue gymnastics through May since she enjoys it so much. She will be able to learn a lot more skills and meet some other children, since we switched her to a late morning class instead of late afternoon.