Of Mini Celebrations and Updates

Happy Mother's Day to all that are celebrating!

Bub's left me at a loss for words with this beautiful pink paper bloom that he made for me. Hubs shouted a dinner at S.Wine Queensbay where the food was great and service was top notch. This was the beer brined pork chop with bacon fried potato cubes.

We all loved the desserts: chocolate orange cake - of course Bubs had to had the fondant Lego minifig and S'mores cookie with a giant dollap of peanut butter wedged in between.

Presents from friends for my birthday.

My dad's friend is an absolute artisan when it comes to bonsais and I loved how he helped arrange the layout of my latest acquisitions. This is my ginseng bonsai, I can't wait for the aerial roots to form.

I'm not sure of its correct name but both the nursery owner and my dad's friend calls this one as a rosita. It has sharp thorns when mature, something I'm not too keen on but it looks amazing when potted with a rock.

Bubs is nuts over badminton lately and begs Hubs to play with him on a near daily basis. If you're looking for kids sized rackets, the factory outlet at Udini Square carries a decent range.

He's also trying out busking part time ;)

And though his spelling leaves much to be desired, Bubs has been on a scribbling craze, doodling on spare bits of paper with little stories and comic strips, which gives me the fuzzies more than any store bought card <3

Bub's Birthday at School

Bub's 6th birthday celebration at his school was so bittersweet for me as I still can't get over the idea of it being his last year at kindy. Was it really years ago that I held that small, sticky hand tight in mine as we eyed the school with suspicious trepidation? Bubs is having none of it though, he enjoys his worldly status as a 6 year old gege where all the little ones practically look up to him. #stillalwaysmybaby

Hubs and I arrived early at school to bake a cake with Bubs and some of his chums. Following instructions from his teacher, we sifted flour, cracked eggs and poured cocoa inside. We sang songs while stirring the batter and it was so cute to watch Bubs interacting with his friends!

The children then tidied up with the older ones helping the younger ones with the apron knots.

It wasn't raining this year so we followed the children out into the garden to pick flowers for the birthday table decorations. They carried small plates in their hands as they pointed out the different blooms that they wanted the teacher to snip for them.

They were all mightily proud of their colourful selections. They went in to decorate and set up all the crockery and cutlery, complete with dainty napkins for each child.

While waiting for the cakes to be baked, Hubs and I played indoors with the children. As usual, I was fascinated with their toys, all made from natural materials: wood, felt, stones, shells and wool.

I couldn't stop picking each toy up to admire it.

The delicious scent of chocolate cake wafted in and we were then ushered to the table. After Bubs decorated his cake with fresh banana slices and candles, everyone sang Happy Birthday with gusto.

Each child then washed up their plate at the sink.

Hubs and I then joined in circle time with the children while the teacher talked about Bubs at school. At one point, I think Bub's emotions got the better of him and he looked choked up a little, haha ;) Happy Birthday, Bubs - no matter how big you get, always remember that we love you!

Bub's 6th Birthday Bash

Since this was going to Bub's last year in kindy, Hubs and I threw him a birthday party with some of his kindy mates, friends and relatives at Adventure Zone, Golden Sands. I can tell you that all of the children went nuts the moment they stepped in there. Tossing off their shoes and waving a cheery bye to the parents, they whizzed straight into the indoor playground, shrieking with joy at the top of their voices.

Bubs was over the moon, running, chasing and sliding with all his friends. The blue slide was one of their favourites. I can tell you that this time around, I wisened up and refused to wear long sleeves to Adventure Zone, so I wouldn't be pressured into going down this crazy thing. That didn't deter the kids though, they went on it multiple rounds.

I may or may not have pinched Bub's spare socks just to run around in there myself with the children ;)

What happens if there's a traffic jam on the rope bridge? Be like Bubs, he literally climbed over people at the sides, like Spidey, it gave me a heart attack though.

All the children were having so much fun that by the time the 2hrs were up, they were sooo reluctant to leave the play area and even made plans to return after the party. At this point, Bub's voice was hoarse from all the yelling he did.

Siew made the best party planner ever. After hearing my confused ramblings about how I envisioned Bub's cake to be, she went ahead and helped me decorate it. We went with Humble Beginning's mille crepes and I brought along bags of candy plus some Star Wars Lego minifigs. I also stuck some gold and silver stars onto wooden skewers. I wasn't a big fan of the cream checks that Hubs asked the cake shop to pipe on but they did prove useful in making sure that all the bits and bobs stayed stuck on.

Voila, I totally loved the end result, not to mention that the DIY decorations cost a fraction of what it would if we went with a fancy customised cake.

I was too lazy to make up a bunch of party decorations so we went with what we already had at home. The Sigi's staff were soooo nice to lend us that pretty cake platter. All the children loved it and started poking at the toys when they came into the cafe.

The candy topping was a hit as most of them kept requesting for M&Ms and mini Oreos on their extra helpings.

I couldn't tell who was more tired: the children or the adults :P Bubs is already asking if he can have 2 birthdays this year!

Where Did October Go To?

October came and zipped past us so fast that I'm still reeling from the fact that it's just a few more minutes before November starts. It's been a pretty intense month with work, family gatherings and Hub's birthday :D

Happy birthday, Hubs! We celebrated with lunch at Rasa Sayang and his birthday cake was a medley of cupcakes and mini desserts pinched from the dessert buffet with Lego figurines on top. I know, wife of the year award for the amount of effort put in, right? LOL

It surprises me that Bubs has been showing so much interest in Roald Dahl books. These were definitely some of the best bargains we've got from the Big Bad Wolf book sale. I've started reading them aloud to Bubs before bedtime, serializing them over a few nights and he's hooked on to them. "Just one more page, pleaseeee," he'd plead when Hubs turns the lights off.

Trick or treat! Japan produces the best and cutest snacks ever. Period.

Bubs and his mate went nuts at Jump Street. It was our first time there and they went nuts over the amount of space they could run around in. At RM27 (peak time) for an hour, the both of them were bouncing all over the place, literally. Their favourite bit? The giant foam pit. "It was like swimming in marshmallows, Mummy,"

Bub's 5th Birthday

Bubs was half excited and half confused about his 5th birthday last week.

"Mummy, since this year, I'm a 5 year old ge ge (big brother) in school, does that mean that I'm now 6?"

"No, you turn 5 on your birthday."

"But I'm already a 5 year old at school! Teacher said so!"

"Ummm ... look, a fire engine!" ;)

We'd a few mini celebrations this year instead of a big bash this year. Bubs was thrilled with all the attention plus cakes, yes, as in plural, that he enjoyed.

Hubs managed to get his hands on the Halloween Lego minifigs he found at Toys r Us and they made cool cake toppers. For lunch with the in laws, Bubs had a coconut and gula Melaka cake from Mon Delice. This was a really interesting cake with top layers of creamy coconut, a middle layer of fragrant gula Melaka and bottom bits of crushed, somewhat crunchy biscuits. It was immensely filling and a small slice was enough to fill everyone up, including Bubs who is insatiable when it comes to desserts.

Dinner was with my family and I shamelessly recycled the candles from the earlier cake :D This time around, we'd popped on Scooby Doo Lego minifigs on top of a decadently rich chocolate cake also from Mon Delice. Even my Dad who doesn't really fancy chocolate proclaimed it good and requested for another helping. Before anyone could stop him, Bubs sunk his teeth into the white chocolate Happy Birthday sign for the 2nd time that day, someone was definitely on a sugar rush ...

We'd a play date at Golden Sands' Adventure Zone with Jaz. This is the super freaky and did I mention, steep slide that you need to take a slight up stairs up to. Bubs loved it and so did a bunch of other kids there so much that I decided I'd to go see what the fuss was about. I peered down at the edge and it literally took my breath away. Bubs, Siew and the staff convinced me to give it a go and let's just say, being graceful is not one of my strengths. My squeals of terror drowned out the music and Hubs is gleefully keeping the video of me sliding like "like a corpse" (his exact words)

Hubs and I were invited to celebrate Bub's birthday at his school and we didn't really know what to expect. Bubs told us the night before that we'd have to help bake his cake and that he'd requested the teacher for "an orange cake, not chocolate, because I like orange better."

It was such a beautiful experience and I felt truly grateful that we were given a sneak peek into a day at his school. A few children were selected (apparently they take turns to be the "baker") to help bake Bub's cake.

We sifted the flour, cracked eggs and took turns mixing the batter. Since it was raining, the teacher gathered flowers from the garden (usually the children would pick them). The children then set the tables and placed the colourful blooms around the cake serving tray. Bubs decorated his cake with banana slices and dusted icing sugar over it. The cake was sooo good, fresh out of the oven, all warm and buttery.

Hubs and I were invited to watch the children at play. I was so fascinated with their toys that I couldn't stop taking photos. They had pine cones, seashells and rubber seeds in wooden bowls that looked so inviting. There were even cut sections of tree branches that were carefully sanded.

The teacher then delighted Bubs by giving him a hand crafted felt gnome as well as paintings from all of the children bound into a book, featuring Bub's drawing on the cover.

Happy Birthday, Bubs, may you always be surrounded by love and laughter and never know a day without happiness. I know that you're in a rush to grow up and embark on your journey to life but deep within my proud mama's heart, you'll always be my little boy with joyful eyes, windswept hair and laughter of a thousand bubbles.

Birthday Week

Another year older, another year filled with more fab family, friends and food :)

My colleagues are more than aware of my love for Lego and got me a set that I'd wanted for ages *don't judge* behold, my first ever Lego Friends!

 

*squeals* Aren't all of the little details adorable? A tiny, swinging monkey on a branch, pastel flowers, lush palm fronds ... so much nicer than Bub's boring vehicles. Even Bubs was enchanted and wanted to help build the "Barbie Lego" as he called it.

KL Godma has a knack of recommending books that leave a place in my heart forever. Last year, it was John Green's The Fault in our Stars which left me in tears. This time around, she gave me a copy of the Rosie Project for my birthday and I could not put it down. Without giving away the plot, this is reminiscent of the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time but a much lighter version.

A birthday present for myself: Uniqlo Mr. Men Little Miss Relaco pants. I've been waiting for them to go on sale for ages - oh the cuteness overload - and when they were RM29, I couldn't resist swooping in on a pair.

 

Hub's birthday surprise for me was at Isaribi Tei, one of our favourite Japanese restaurants. I always feel slightly tense there because the owner is somewhat ... well, you do the Google search but the food there is good and they serve the best raw (unbaked) cheesecake in Penang. To Bub's and my delight, Hubs ordered a whole cheesecake this round so we could savour it slowly at home.

Little H's Birthday at Adventure Zone

I've always loved the Adventure Zone at Golden Sands ever since Bubs went there for a school trip. The place is M A S S I V E and adults can go in for free (as long as you're clad in socks, long pants - long sleeves optional but required for some of the scary slides). It is a fantastic workout for both children and chaperons, seriously, your muscles will ache in places that you didn't even know you had them plus everyone sleeps so much better at night. Snores guaranteed :D

As expected, Bubs went off at Little H's birthday party at Adventure Zone like a jet rocket.This time around, he was much bigger so I didn't have to worry about him much.

The toboggan was hands down the most popular with everyone: small and big alike! The bigger kids zipped down fearlessly, whooping with jubilee while obliging parents shared mats with the smaller ones. I'll admit, I'd a couple of goes on this myself and each trip down, I was squealing at the top of my voice.

Little H was such a daredevil and Bubs followed suit. This was the super steep slide that they both went on fearlessly, gliding down at lightning speed.

Wheeeee ... and off they landed into a colourful ball pit.

Thank you so much for inviting us, Little H!

Natalie's Birthday

The last time we were at Urban Playground, it was Bub's birthday and even though he went nuts there with his friends, I lamented that I didn't get to play much on the giant inflatables while everyone else did. Since Natalie's birthday was held there, I rubbed my hands in glee that I could now bounce, run and slide to my heart's content this time around. Think of it as a more fun gym session where I could burn off calories ;)

The birthday girl was so thrilled with her pressies, she refused to let go.

This spot was hands down one of the coolest attraction for all the children. They ran down the slides repeatedly into a cosy, colourful ball pit. There is something so relaxing and fun just chillin' in there. Hubs, can we please have one at home, pretty please? *puppy dog eyes*

This was the best inflatable they had for the bigger kids. It's a very steep (but soft and squishy) wall filled with velcro patches. You take different coloured cloth strips and try to stick them on the velro - which sounds a lot easier than it actually was. Bubs and I were trying to see who could get to the top.

I challenged Kelly to it and Hubs had photographic evidence that it was a tie ;) It was so much fun that I ended up ripping my jeans at the knee, LOL. In case you were wondering, even the both of us couldn't reach the top most corner.

We quickly replenished all the lost calories with lunch. I was flabbergasted with all of the yummy cookies that Kelly baked from scratch, including a modern version of kuih bangkit that was lighter and more airy.

The birthday girl was thrilled to bits with her very pretty and sweet Hello Kitty cake. Happy Birthday, Natalie!