Baby girl - NOT

My little baby girl is growing so so fast.

She is no longer my baby, just check these photos of her. Still only 3 but in some of these she seems so much older. Growing so so fast.

This was an off school day and Mary took her to Paragon Shopping Centre where they have this kiddie playground area. Doesn't she look so happy.

Also notice in a few photos she is holding a teddy bear, that is Boo Boo. Our friends Barrie and Bing gave her that in Bali and she loves it. Takes it everywhere bless her.

Ollie assembly

First one for a long time, in fact first one under his new teacher Miss Rebecca - Year 5 Swordfish. The song is all about responsibilities, which is Ollie's latest Unit of Enquiry. Miss Rebecca quite in to acting and theatre so I am certain she and Ollie will get on famously. Then what a surprise, as we had not idea, Ollie gets an award too - well done Mr Kennett, I think this year is going to be a good year for you and Miss Rebecca.

Universal Studios again

Here we go again - this time taking Miz with us for her first experience of Universal Studios. Kids as you can see are a little older than the last trip we took, so some video clips for you to see them in action too - love the Amy dancing one, "move out the way everyone I am dancing", ha ha! We did Express pass and Ollie went on Battlestar Galactica like 6 times, he loves it so much. We had a really lovely day, hot dogs, pizza, a beer also - we watched all the shows, did all the rides, and saw all the characters. Great fun kids, thank you as always for a lovely day.

The kids aren't kids any more

A sad day today, but also a good day.

Amy has successfully taken the step to a big girl's bed and so we said goodbye to her cot - literally just now a lovely lady from the condo who is 5 months pregnant took it off our hands.

Her little walker toys, baby clothes, ride on zebra, travel cot as well all sold on the notice board. So many memories going with them as they leave the condo.

But we needed the space and she now has a little stash of her own money to spend when she's ready for the purchased items.

And then today there she is sat painting her nails and messing around with false nails, even sticking them on me - ha ha! Not so pretty as you Amy.

We did the Skype session with England for about an hour and we couldn't keep you off the camera, chatting, singing, alphabet songs, playing about with Uncle Darren - making everyone laugh.

You've grown so so fast this past year or so, a really maturing, funny and desperately beautiful girl - but you're still my little baby and I love you so much. Mummy would indeed be so proud of you Amy, and what you have achieved. I know I absolutely am, and so is Mary and Ollie and of course your family from around the world.

And then of course there is by little/big man Ollie. Soon to be attending year 5 in school, another teacher for him, another year flashed past. Mature indeed you are Ollie, funny indeed you are although sometimes Uncle Darren and those joke books he bought you has a lot to answer for - GROAN! Riding your bike with me the other day was lovely, I knew you'd be fine on that, and thank you Mary for helping and giving you advice when Amy is at school. Like a speeding train you were, and actually quite a long trip all the way from Siglap to home along East Coast, just lovely! Your new acting sessions start soon as well, this time not on stage but on film, and I love the fact that we can chat about decisions and you chose this over football for this year. I think you'll be amazing as you were in "A Few Good Kids".

Well just a quick note today about the munchins, or nearly not munchins anymore! Sad! We're off to fireworks this evening for Singapore National Day, hopefully at the gold club again with amazing views of the city, some Japanese food and fireworks - woo hoo! Kids are excited re that one! Much Love Bri

Mr Totton has been busy again!

Approximately 3 years on and back to Mr Totton for another family Kennett photo shoot. This time including "naked", YES, "naked" Dad. I bought this mini statue of a guy bending over, Mr Totton in creative style saw it, loved it, and thought I know I'll get Kennett naked with new tattoos! And look at outcome, even if I say so myself pretty cool.

Amy, Ollie and Mary just look divine. I have been comparing the ones from nearly 3 years ago and I really don't think there's much change with Mary and I, Ollie is just bigger and still so handsome, BUT Amy is now a young lady.

Flip back to the other blog some time ago and have a compare, she really has grown in to a beautiful young lady!

Ged you have worked your magic again, just LOVE these shots mate and love you too! Thanks buddy, proud Dad!

Asian Civilizations Museum does it again

One the things I have always wanted to see has come to Singapore. For years I have wanted to see the terra-cotta warriors, one time when in Hong Kong Coleman and I nearly did but there was some exhibition which had caused all hotels in Beijing to be full. Shame! One day though I will get there to see The Wall and The Terra-cotta Warriors, in the flesh so to speak. But the Asian Civilizations museum has a "special" event running at the moment with the following in town. Just incredible to see these up front and close, thousands of years old and so so life like, each having a unique face, armor etc. I am off to Shanghai in August so fingers crossed my lovely client asks me to go to Beijing too so I can go and see the colleagues of these guys!

Excuse my "creativity" here for the moody shots, Mr Totton would be proud of me, ha ha!!!

Not all terra-cotta warriors but some of the other exhibits in the museum, which are also just as impressive and amazing - they cover all the "zones" of Asia, as you'll see from the different styles, from Thai, to Chinese, to Indonesian, to Malay - just beautiful.

Also the final few photos are us afterwards eating at IndoChine (those that have been here will know where that is - opposite Boat Quay), but I wanted to include these because look at Amy and chopsticks, way to go Amy - Mummy would be SO proud of you!!!!

Bali Bali Bali

Well so I turned 43 in Bali - not monumental in itself as birthdays these days just come and go (to be forgotten to be honest), but what an amazing trip it was. Very good friends of our ours were also getting married "again" (remember the best mans speech blog). So we had a double bubble holiday of wedding, birthday and well just enjoying the beautiful Bali.

I booked an amazing villa, originally a 2 bed thing but luckily we ended up with a 3 bed. All en suite with outdoor shower/bath, kitchen, living room, chill out room on 2nd floor and private pool. Oh yes living the dream guys! Actually we checked in and they did not have 2 bed available so put us in 3 bed for one night, the next day we were supposed to move to 2 bed but we were going out for the day to safari park and I kicked up a stink that we had wedding dresses and suits etc and I was not happy to keep putting them in suitcase as they would get creased, and it is not my fault that they did not have our room ready for the first night etc etc, picture me now with angry face ha ha, and I got my way and we were allowed to stay in the 3 bed. Just beautiful place. You drive along Seminyak High Street and it's all boutique shops and then turn off down a side alley and you're like oh my gosh where are we going and then hey presto Shangri La, the beautiful Desa Muda Villas - WOW!

Amy was a flower girl for the wedding, pictures to follow, and what a proud Dad I was as she nailed it. So cute! OK she did occasionally "drift" off the frangipani path, but she was concentrating so much on throwing the flowers from her basket. But the lovely Sophia, a friends girl, was always on hand to drag her back to the path. What a lovely day was had by all, lots of friends of Barrie and Bing from Australia and family of Bing from China. A lovely lovely day and what a beautiful setting as you will see from the photos.

Birthday was spent sat on the beach at a wonderful restaurant, seafood cooked on a BBQ of dried coconut husks, see my foodie blog for more on that. Just amazing - lobster, snapper, prawns, crab all as fresh as can be as you literally sit and watch the fisherman catching it and then it is virtually straight to the table. They go horizontally to the beach one way laying the nets, then back the other way banging drums to scare the fish in to the nets. The to the tanks to choose the fair you wish to eat, almost looking like the fish will start flapping in the ice as so so fresh. A few large Bintans and just gorgeous food all thrown on the table and dig in, no etiquet here, just dig in!

Do I spy one photo of Ollie with a Bintang beer, yes indeed I do - BUT phew it was a non-alcoholic beer, but still I think he felt like he was 18 years old at the time, ha ha!

More of this one on the foodie blog, but we went "local" one day and had this pig food Babi Guling, basically ALL the bits of a suckling pig with chili - soups, fried, stewed, organs, sausages etc. but AMAZING, my hero Mr Bourdain went to one similar in Ubud and said best he has ever had. I have to say this one we went to round the corner from the villa was just superb. Spit and sawdust and all that, but wonderful food. Mental note to self and anyone visiting, go to the toilet before you go - according to Mary that was an experience all on it's own!

Eating eating, drinking drinking from Balinese, Indian, Western you name it we had it. All good, cheap and delicious!

What do you think about Ollie's joke telling skills? I won't upload the previous attempts to get the punch line right, but the final go he had I think is quite impressive, you should be on stage young man - made me laugh, ho ho!

Trips to temples on lakes, waterfalls (yes actual name was Git Git - just loved that one), rice paddy fields in the mountains, swimming pools, food and more food, religious festivals and basically just FUN was had by all. If you have never been to Bali I recommend it to be one of those "I must go there before I die" places. It is truly one of my favourite places in the world, and I think from the photos following you'll see also it is a favourite of Ollie, Amy and Mary. What a lovely lovely holiday we had.