Universal Studios again - this time with ...............

So we had visitors from overseas in the shape of brother Eddie (for one day and night only - shame), Sister Haruko and nieces Katelynn and Annika for 3 days - and what a wonderful 3 days they were (well for me 2 only as was en route back from Bali for the first.

The kids got on so so well, I think you'll see that from the pictures above. Cinemas, skating, eating and eating and eating - ha ha! And in this little montage, Universal Studios again. It really is a great day out for all ages even the not so wee 2 year old now! But she is very very demanding - one ride 4-6 times in a row for example on Dino-Soar - see picture above with her and Ollie - yep it was like doing shift work, ha ha - your turn now Ollie, then mine, then Mary etc etc.

But it was a lovely day out as always with the family, albeit a REALLY hot one here in Singapore - so delightful to get soaked on the Jurassic Park water ride. One because it was very cooling and two because it hid the fact that you were sweating like a large pig for a while ha ha!

So thanks Haruko and girls we had a BALL, wonderful fun with you all. You will be missed in the Kennett and Clark condos, a bit of a kibutz feeling but great fun!

Love as always to you all, and in the immortal words of the David Niven book - "Go slowly, come back quickly!" - please!!!!!

And like the Queen I then celebrated my second birthday

So 8th May arrives and it's Amy's birthday party, the previous night the cake arrived which was AMAZING, and then Miz arrived too. All going to plan. We left the condo at 2130 and arrived at 2150 as requested by the party people - and hey presto Bambinis began and continued for another 2 hours with 17 of Amy's little mates going crazy. So here are some snaps from the day for you all to see. She had an absolute BALL, great fun. Also everyone thank you so so much for the wonderful gifts you got her, just lovely - thank you so so so much from Amy xxxxx

Daddy if I stuff as much food in my mouth as possible, I think I look like a Hamster. 

And then Uncle Jeremy asked me to take a lovely picture of him. I think you can tell from his face he was really enjoying you birthday celebrations - ha ha!!!

FORE!!!!!

So after a full day a wandering around Universal, off we go to Ollie's golf lesson 1st thing on the Sunday, and yep his sister I now think wants to join the club.

Ollie goes pitching and putting, Amy wants the driver and irons all at once - moves over Tiger Woods, my kids are coming through!

Yes he has to be different - he is the one in red, whilst all others are in yellow! Ha Ha! This is pitch and putt practice near the 18th green of Marina Bay Golf Course - lovely place. So whilst Ollie practices Amy and I go for a nice quiet Ice Lemon Tea in the club house. Sorry did I say nice and quiet .............

"Ollie Ollie Ollie - I've got your other clubs, do you want them???"

"Well if you don't want them all, I'm going to glove up and go playing myself then big brother!"

"Hey move over Sis, I need to pose for the camera, check out my set up ladies and gentlemen"

"Hey actually big brother that's pretty good, you look very professional!"

"But now check out this grip!"

"Hey talking to you, stop staring at the camera!"

"Right that's it I'm off, Dad can I have another Ice Lemon Tea please."

Dad says - "I'm worn out kids!!!!!!" "ZZZZzzzzzz"

One of my favourite Blur songs was The Universal - well here it is in Singapore!

Oh my Gosh the excitement was building and building as the day approached. Ollie was getting more and more agitated as the days, then hours, then minutes slid past until the time had arrived 0900 on Saturday 1st May with tickets booked and burning a hole in my pocket we descended on Universal Studios, Singapore for the first time since it's "soft opening" - and boy we were not disappointed. What a wonderful day, all 9 hours of it at the park.

Well done Universal and well done Singapore - having tried the French Euro Disney, big mistake in my book. But I do hear they are closing that due to a vermin problem, loads of 6 foot tall Mice running everywhere (Ha Ha!)

An amazing place, as you drive in the car park it goes on for what looks like a mile, and all underground and all on reclaimed land. I think approximately half the cars were for Universal and half for The Casino.

Ollie had a ball as you'd imagine, even riding the rather scary, in the pitch dark, Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster twice (Daddy's favourite). Amy also had such a great day, she went on a load of rides and watched the 4D films in silence and awe - very cute to watch. We got soaked at the studios ride, she didn't blink an eye. She got spun in Sci-Fi World, she giggled and jump jump jump afterwards. Well done Amy and well done Ollie as Revenge of the Mummy was super fast and spooky in the dark. You risk taker you! Amy's favourite and in the photo's below was Dino-Soar, sort of roundabout that you can make go up and down in the air - we ended up on that 4 times in a row and still crying her little eyes out as we walked away after those 4 goes. She LOVED it.

But also myself and Mary had a scream - it really was a lovely day out for us.
Thanks kids and thanks Mary for watching Amy whilst Ollie and I rode roller-coasters that Amy was not big enough to go on.

Great fun!!!

The very start of the day and just a sample of some of the photos - loads of videos taken, but can't upload them at the moment - why I don't know! HOT HOT HOT days here in Singapore!

"If I don't blink I won't miss any of the show!" 

"IT'S MY FAVOURITE DINO-SOAR, MY 4 TIMES IN A ROW FAVOURITE!!!!!!"

"Dad, you know I love splashing in the fountains and getting wet, well once I get sometimes it can get a little cold afterwards, so can I please borrow your shirt?"

Of course you can Amy, you look very special in it!

i

One minute in Ancient Egypt and then NYC - Hi Haruchan and girls, we came to NYC but only stayed like 10 minutes!

 

Bit of a naughty last snap - saw the Kung Fu Panda photo shoot a going and then spied this other chap sat on the wall. A photo opportunity not to be missed. The Kung Fu Panda Twins, Kung Fu Panda long lost brother, Kung Fu Panda out of costume and many many more - ha ha! Sorry made me laugh!!!!

My actual birthday day!

Well OK then here are some snaps of Amy's actual 2nd birthday.

Thanks to all that sent presents and cards - she loved them all, and you'll see her wearing some here.

We ended up at a new friend's daughters 2nd too, yep same date of birth including year. So this lovely lady Nicole and her baby girl Nina (yep kind of freaky) allowed us to share the party. So Happy Birthday was sung and even down to some little biscuits on the table wishing the two girls a Happy Birthday. Thanks so much Nicole.

Amy is like the Queen this year - official and un-official birthday - so on 8th at Bambini, Dempsey - she has around 17 mates a coming to go crazy. So ore then, but here is some now too from the actual 28th April 2010.

Happy Birthday my Darling Girl!!!! Love Daddy

PS check my broken and pinned finger in the photo below - OUCH!

You know you just turn your back and ................................

A classic moment in baby Amy's little life at the moment.

So just turned two - another year on (no photos yet as birthday party is not until 8th May), and another year of maturity under her belt. For all those parents out there - you know that moment when it goes quiet, just a little too quiet. Yep, this is one of those "special" moments.

So all was quiet on the Western front, when suddenly this ghost like figure appears and walks towards us. Oh my Gawd it's Amy, Amy that just found the Sudocream and clearly had some sore skin, ALL OVER, that she needed to apply a thin layer to.

Ha Ha - this is just a classic - there's a video too but I am really struggling now to upload video to the Blog, which is a real shame! But check FaceBook for me and you'll hopefully see it there under - Oh Dear Amy or something like that.

Check the third photo below and look behind her at the cabinet, there was the same on the dining table and windows - so so funny!!!!

Thanks Amy - Love Daddy - you REALLY made me laugh this day!!!!

And then the Brother DK's 30th Birthday

As I said in previous posting there were highs and lows this holiday to UK. But overall our wonderful family and friends kept it absolutely to the former, with highs prevailing I would say. Thank you to you all.

The last "big event" of the trip was my brother, Darren - DK - DKHNY - "the Kenno", 30th birthday. Bless him he chose a theme of the 80's to which we all laughed that all we needed was a search to the back of the wardrobe and hey presto costume. But no, Eddo my good mate suggested he and I go as Wham, 20 years on a hey presto the transformation took place - ha ha! Dear me. So here again is a selection of photos from those that have supplied to me so far. To my family I apologise, good grief this would scare the children.

Funny thing was I dressed like this and Amy and Ollie were fine thinking it quite funny, but Darren dyed his hair black, was all, and Amy went crazy, quite scared of him. Hmmm, says a lot - ha ha!

So my brother, Happy 30th matey love you massively. Thanks for the fun and friends. Claire, just amazing fun, well done you for organizing something I think none will forget. Now you need get sorting the re-union!

Naochan - the ups and downs.

Well April 3rd was an amazing day in a number of ways.  Sad but also so happy. Nina has done this now on a truly Global scale - again she caused a gathering of friends from around the world, Singapore, UK, USA, Japan, Yemen, Europe and of course multiple locations in UK.

Above is a snapshot of some of the moments, truly just snapshots. I hope others may share thier photo moments as well and I'll update the blog. As usual scatter brain Kennett did not think to take his camera, so again reliant on others to furnish the pictorial memories of the day.

My wonderful Sister-in-law, Haruchan, had just the worst trip to get there. Fires at Heathrow causing a re-direct to Gatwick, and then an estranged call from her from on the plane with no idea of new landing time at Heathrow to be with us. My poor Sis missed the actual internment because of that and yours truly had to perform some improv which I hope was well received by all (I have to admit the "support" I got from Amy made it a lot easier for me - thank Amy love!). We then held version #2 with Haruchan, Eddie and the girls + family when they arrived. Poor loves, but I have to say both were wonderful and Naochan would have been so proud, albeit still we should not be there! As my sister says below goodbye is just too soon, not right and too unfair!

I hope you don't mind Haruchan, but I want to put your words here for all those that did not come for the second gathering at Ni's internment. Wonderful words my darling, thank you so much.

"Good afternoon everyone, Brian, Oliver, Amy, Mama, Papa, family and friends who have come from around London, and those who have traveled across oceans.

A warm, warm welcome to you from the bottom of my heart.

We understand that this trip was not an easy one to make. This trip has been a journey of grief and coping of 14 months to this day. If we have made it to this day it is because love oprevailed. We love Nina, the mother of two beautiful children, wife, daughter, aunt, sister and absolutely precious friend to all.

A good-bye is too soon, not right and too unfair.

Shortly, Nina's ashes, carried in the arms of her family all the way from Singapore, will be laid to rest here, nest to her brother, in the town she considers home. But this may not represent all that she was. Naoko is a living person as we remember her, in each of her hearts. In that way she has been inside us all along.

Please make today a day of rebirth, a renewal of your ties with Nina. Keep in touch, to help her children remember who their mother was as they grow up. Also please renew your love and friendship with each other today, become new friends, so that my Sister's legacy of bringing people together lives on. Nina, you are the honorable guest of this party today, and being the party girl that you are, I have a feeling that you don't mind us all being here right now.

May I now pass the torch to Nina's dear husband, Brian Kennett, the man who has made this gathering happen, flew across thousands of miles with their children to deliver Nina's wishes to be brought back home. How far you had to come to be here today. And thank you for making it possible for all of us to be here. Brian please say a few words ......"

Wow Sis - just BEAUTIFUL, thank you again so so much! You made us all so proud!

So what did it look like. Well to be honest at the moment some grass is all there is for the girl. I finalised the Headstone design whilst there, so that should be with us in 14-16 weeks they said. We shall see. I hope that does Naochan proud, but hey it is still after all a lump of stone - not how we all remember her. 

I have included some photos now of the wonderful flowers you all gave. Just beautiful, thank you so much. I love the family shot, just look at that brother and sister love fest going on, bless them. And the final one is the wee one lending a helping hand to keep Mummy's flowers fresh. 

And then after that we had time for family all over the country, from wonderful Sunday lunches to frizby in my Mum's back garden - again some limited shots here due to yours truly AGAIN not having camera ready - dear me. So again this will be augmented as and when I get chance to add some other's photos.