19 June, Tues - Day 4, Melbourne

Puffing Billy was the plan for today. We drove to Belgrave Station to catch the 1215 train for a 1.5hour train rider to Lakeside Station. It was freezing cold as we were in an open windowed carriage. Kaitlyn fell asleep. Kieran, with his love for trains (what more steam engines which resembled Thomas and his friends) thoroughly enjoyed it.

Honestly, if it were just Ron and I, we wouldn't have planned a ride on Puffing Billy. We got all sooty and there was really nothing much to do at Lakeside Station before catching the train back to Belgrave. The things we do for our kids. Thing we never thought we would. :) But the smile that our sacrifices put on their faces is just priceless.



Waiting for the train to depart at Belgrave Station



The Steam Engine we took

18 June, Mon - Day 3, Melbourne

Drove to the city today to visit the Melbourne Aquarium as we weren't sure if we sould make it to Phillip Island with weather so cold. So a visit to the aquarium would at least satisfy the kiddos' penguin viewing ( and it's prob closer than they can get to the penguins at Phillip Island anyway).

And then Kaitlyn decided to pull a starfish out of the water!

Then it was back to Olga Street for a nap.

Dinner was home cooked chinese food by my aunt. Yummers!

17 June, Sun - Day 2, Melbourne

Still recovering and adjusting from the time difference and lovely weather, the kids slept till almost 12 noon! As such, today was again spent just shopping at Knox City.

Dinner with my aunt, uncle, cousin Steph and her husband James at Glen Waverly. Had crab noodles, then headed to Dessert Story nearby for dessert.

Waiting for dessert.....

Strawberry Snow Ice has to be Kieran's all time favourite, even in the freezing cold weather!

16 June, Sat - Day 1, Melbourne

After a horrifying plane ride of puking, crying and pooping, we finally arrived at Melbourne at 6am on the morning of 16 June.

This was the start of a totally no-itinerary-planned holiday. It was planned as such, cos with a 1.5 year old and an almost 3 year old, we decided to play by ear.

So we arrived at Uncle Jerry's and Aunty Puay's and planned our itinerary, or what we could. No typical visits to the Great Ocean Road or Yarra Valley as most couples would have planned....it was a totally kiddy itinerary. Still fun nonetheless. :)

Today, we set aside for recovering from the plane ride with a little bit of shopping at Knox City, Vietnamese Pho at Bayswater for lunch and Nando's chicken for dinner (the peri peri sauce is yummers!).

Check out how knocked out they were on the car ride from the airport back to Olga Street.

The Things My Almost-3-year-old Says

I was down with a flu a couple of weeks back, so I was wearing a mask around the house.

Kieran: Mummy, take out the tissue.
Me: It's not a tissue. It's a mask. I need to wear it because I am sick and i don't the germs to go to you.
Then my mother added: "Yes, don't go so near mummy, cos she is sick."

The next morning, my son woke up and said, "Mummy, you are not wearing the mask. You are feeling better already?"
Me: Yes, a little bit better
Kieran: So I can come near you?
Me: Not yet darling. Let me get fully better first ok?

Then again the next morning.... Kieran: Mummy, your germs finish already?

From Hubby and the Brood

"Adeline Sim!" the office despatch uncle called. I looked up and saw him walking toward me with a bouquet of flowers.


And with the flowers was attached this card....


And then it hit me why my hubby and I had this conversation last week.

Hubs: Is my wife working on her birthday?

Me: No. But if my husband wants to take me out, I can try to apply for leave.

Hubs: He is taking you out but at night.

I am normally quick to pick up such sussing out by my husband. But somehow, this time, it totally slipped me. I really thought he was asking me out for dinner.

So, the flowers arriving at the office was indeed a surprise. :)

Conversations with My Son

Here are some excerpts from conversations with my two and a half year old.

Me: Do you want to go over and play Hide & Seek with the je jes?
K: No, I don't want.
Me: Why?
K: Because hide and seek I cannot find them!


K: This doughnut is good.
Grandpa: No la. Doughnuts are not very good.
K: It's good, Grandpa.
Grandpa: No la. Not good.
K: Don't talk. You don't talk.


I had a glass of coke and Kieran wanted to drink it. And our conversation went like this:

Mummy: That's iced coffee.
K: No, it's not coffee.
Mummy: It is. And children cannot drink coffee right?
K: It's not coffee.
Mummy: Then what is it?
K: Coke!
Mummy: No. It is coffee.
K: I need to try.
Mummy: No need to try. It's not coke,
K: Please, mummy, can you let me try?

How to not let him try like that????


Grandma: Kieran, can you bring the contol here for Grandma? That one.
Kieran: Grandma, don't say "one". What is "one"?

This one was picked up from me. He learns really fast. But speaking proper English starts when they are young right? I hear SOOO many people saying "That one. This one. The blue one." Seriously. WHAT IS "ONE"?


My father was singing the zoo version of the birthday song for me and....

Grandpa: Your mummy is like the monkey in the zoo
K: Mummy is not monkey.
Grandpa: Oh. She is like the donkey.
K: No Grandpa. Mummy is not like donkey.
Grandpa: Your mummy is like the elephant then.
K: No. Mummy is not like elephant. Mummy is not anything!


Here is my oh-so-cute-and-clever 2.5 year old! :p