All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth and a new pair of knickers...

Off we go again with our mates - The Blowers - for a delicious lunch and fun packed afternoon at the hawker on lagoon. Similar to last time to just some snaps of the 'difference'.

My two clearly enjoying themselves, having such fun, a day by the beach, sandcastles being built, running around in the seaside air... NOT. MineCraft it is then...

"Mwah, cute baby Jude. Hello mate it's Daddy. I'm taking your picture..."

"Hell Dad!" says he...

Amazing what you find.

This bike is clearly VERY old, and I don't think it has been moved forever. 

Flying Pigeon is the name of the bike maker.

But, the relevance, check the tyre maker name.

Yep it is Oyama. Nina's (Naoko) maiden name. Isn't that amazing. Miz/Yuko/Haruko, it made me smile to see this. Quite incredible.

Amy goes off with Ollie to play (I think the batteries had ran out). I call them to check how they are. 

"Ah Dad, Amy was rolling and she has got a hole in her pants and scratched herself." Says he

"Is she OK? Is she crying?" Says me

"No she's fine, but she wold like to talk to you." Says he

Anyway long story short and all. She comes back to show me her bum wound. Me thinking it is going to be a tiny little nick, with a tiny little hole in her nickers. Nope - check these out. Holy cow there is more hole than nicker Amy. So day off school today as her bum is sore and she cannot sit down. She even had to eat breakfast standing up. Bless.

And add to that the below.

Yep another tooth casualty.

Yep another lost one too - again we think swallowed.

Another note to 'tooth fairy' as this time she caught me putting some money under the pillow, so we had to message the real tooth fairy. Luckily Mary has the number, and this morning a very special envelope was there with $15 in it - PHEW that was close!!!

Lovely days with our mates - thanks The Blowers, love your company very much!!!

So my Sis sends me this...

Haruko, I hope you don't mind me sharing this...

My darling sister in NYC sent me this email recently. Stark reminder. We know it is coming. We have chatted together as a family. We get what she is saying. We agree with what she is saying. We are planning a family dinner only this year, not a party as usual. Does it mean we don't miss her, does it mean it is all over and in the past for us - hell no - we miss the lady massively. But we have moved forwards. Jude joins us. We are a family again. We are strong again. 

But we still miss you like crazy - our Naoko Oyama.

"As it is obviously on both our minds, the anniversary is yet to approach us again. I'm not sure how you're feeling but this time around, for the first time I feel a bit different. There is just a tiny sliver more of acceptance and peace in me... just a sliver. I definitely feel an increase in my sister's presence somewhere near me. I used to be a lot more doubtful, and in denial, but this year there is more hope of believing in her soul. I notice Ollie smiling more in his pictures, I see more joy in all you guy's pictures, perhaps the birth of Jude opened up a new chapter for you, Mary and the kids. And I feel as if my sister is OK and happy with that."

Love Haruchan...

Love you Sis - thank you so so so much.

All our love Bri, Ollie, Amy, Mary and of course now baby Jude xxx

All I want for Christmas is my ...

It's happening so fast.

My baby girl is growing and growing.

Look what happened yesterday.

Yes, she lost her first tooth.

And literally she did lose her first tooth, ha ha. So panic set in that she would not be visited by the tooth fairy as she had lost her tooth. Mary then SMS'd the 'tooth fairy' to ask if he would still come even though the tooth was nowhere to be seen. The 'tooth fairy' responded saying "Of course Amy will be visited, I know where to get her tooth."

Wow - amazing, he was telling the truth as this morning we looked under her pillow and look what she found. Amazing.

I looked in the mirror and said "Thanks tooth fairy!!" Cough, cough!!!

Our Pier re-opens at Tanjong Rhu

Well done Mountbatten MP, Mr Lim.

We used to have a sports bar, restaurant, meeting, drinking place on our pier on the river at Tanjong Rhu. A little mecca called Cosy Bay. A great place. Closed for 5+ years now. I found out last night that there had been complaints from neighbours that they did not like having a bar there. I also heard it was due to increase in rents.

Well what ever the reason, to was truly a shame that it shut in my eyes.

But last night from 2000-2130 Mr Lim opened the pier again. Free wine and pop for the kids, with a band. Well done Sir. A lovely amble up from our place to watch the music and to meet Mr Lim and say thank you. Thank you for the party and thank you for the ongoing help with baby Jude and Mary's 'Singaporean situation'. Objective achieved - we all met and we all said thanks!!!

So the pier is again now officially open. You can picnic, drink and just sit there now, but there will never be another Cosy Bay it seems because of the neighbour complaints.

First up though sorry to Roy, Karen and Phoebe as we could not come to the birthday 'for the adults'. Here is the reason why. Mr Kennett Jnr was zonked. Baby Jude here dreaming of Village People and YMCA songs clearly.

2015 just me, Ollie and Amy take a wander leaving baby Jude asleep with Mary. A lovely cool, breezy evening along the river. Can't believe I am saying that. Cool and breezy, ha ha!!!

There is the pier in the background of the kids.

Live music kindly provided by the band that play Insomnia in Chijmes. 2 week break from work freed them up. Amazing voice on the lady singer, you should have heard their rendition of ACDC.

Above and below;

Thank you Mr Lim, MP for People's Action Party Mountbatten District.

Fingers crossed what you are doing to help us pays the dividend.

Front row seats.

I think some wine kicked in just about now, as the lady on the right jumps up and starts to dance.

You know the type of dancing 'yep as your Dad would do...' Ha Ha, classic.

Home time kids - but before we go let's grab the blow up thing at the entrance and 'kill it'.

Night night what was Cosy Bay - now Tanjong Rhu Pier.

Good fun for out little party.

Amy why are your eyes shut so tight?

Oh I remember; "Dad I need a wee!!!"

Lazy weekend a few snaps, and now off with the kids to watch Frozen...

Let's start with Jude.

Now 6 weeks old bless him and check the face - yep he's a smiling and interacting.

I actually got this sent to my phone from Mary when I was at work.

Very cute Jude my little mate.

Next up is the boys early one morning in bed.

This is one of his favourite positions to sleep - yep in the rug bless him.

Same as Ollie and same as Amy before hi, - truly that preference does run in the family.

Very cute too as long as he doesn't try to latch on - ouch!!!

Off on Saturday to Orchard Road for a little shopping for few things for Ollie, Amy and Jude and to try change my Xmas present for one that worked - sadly it  seems to be an Apple iPhone issue not user error so I now have no present boo hoo.

A walk down Orchard Road which we have not done for ever. Partly to see the changes at street level that you only normally see from the car, but also to aloo Jude to sleep as he likes the background noise and have the movement. Quite a walk that.

So a stop for a refreshing beverage as we near the end of the road.

Mary tries on my new glasses - coolio hun - looking good.

Even the gay guy behind you seems to think so too, as he kept blowing kisses - well I think they were kisses for you in those glasses - cough cough???

Aunty Haruko hits a home run with her choices for Amy's Christmas present this year.

She loves it all. 

From the dress to the ballerina necklace - she chose it all to wear for shopping today.

One other new purchase today were the pink and bling trainers. A perfect accompaniment to the rest of the outfit it seems ha ha!!!

Sunday we disappeared again for yet another slow walk to Gardens By the Bay - we are year members so I suppose it makes sense.

It really is lovely though as we all get out of the condo, we all have a walk, the kids love it, Jude now loves it too. It's good for us all.

"Amy Knievel" decides to go slightly in pink today - did I say slightly???

What am I thinking...

A very nice shot indeed of family Kennett - the gang, on our way on a bit of a drizzly day.

And thanks to my Ollie for allowing me to get in a photo today.

Must go and see Ged and Susan soon for some family shots - MUST!!!

Ged and Sue prepare!!!

On the way I spotted these amazing lilli pads where the rain has just started to drop, and formed these glistening beads of rain water on top. Quite amazing looking with that and the ripples of the rain drops. So yep I went a tad arty and used antique style to show back. Nice I think!!!

I'd have that on me wall!!!

Lunch at Peach Garden - a big time favourite of ours for Chinese lunches when we visit the gardens.

Very delicious food and to be honest pretty damn good value for what eat when we go.

We decided to only visit "Cloud Dome" today and boy was it cloudy. It was really like being in a tropical rainforest. Very cool in there both in how it looked and in the temperature. Very beautiful too.

Trying to make the pictures different for your 10th trip to the same place is tough - hold on a second it's Jude's 1st time in person there - kids new group of three please...

I managed to snap a couple of lovely flowers and an wood carved crocodile on the way up.

But my camera then decided to run out of battery so I switched to iPhone.

Hope these are not too bad.

Almost eerie. 

Low cloud or fog like, with the paths and people emerging from them. Oooh.

Up to the top and "Lost Worlds" - where Amy was desperate to pose in front of the venus fly traps for some reason. Very cute photo Amy, not sure re the fly traps though - scary!!!

We decided upon finishing "Cloud Dome' that that was enough for today. Let's get home before rain may come crashing down as it has done for the past few weeks, get Jude safely back in to home and then me and the kids will go to the cinema to watch the much awaited "Frozen" movie.

Have to say well done Disney - what a lovely family film that was. 

Amy was belting out the songs in the cinema ha ha, with Ollie going Shhhhh all the time.

But before that we walk past Satay by the Bay. And Ollie is desperate to share his undying love for the place by posing in a wonderful picture - thanks Ollie.

A slow walk back and as usual the main man Ollie takes up Jude's reigns.

Amy Kneivel disappears at a rapid rate of knots on newly named scooter "Lightening Thunder".

Big brother LOVES pushing his little brother in the biggie.

As in LOVES it.

He's a natural, look at him. Thanks buddy!!!

"Thanks Ollie." says Jude; "Love you!"

 HAPPY DAYS!!!

The first day of 2014 - slightly jaded!!!

Thanks to the wonderful hospitality of The Blowers on New Years Eve I entered the first day of the year slightly jaded - ha ha!!!

Mr Rutherford then pings me a note - come join us at Picotin in Siglap. Uber cool bar and restaurant, I feel becoming a favourite when we move to Siglap later in the year. Yes folks after 6 years time to leave The Rhu as our place has been sold and the new owners are a moving in.

Very excited about that - will keep you all updated.

So here is a few snaps of me and the kids on the 1st day of 2014. 

Happy New Year everyone.

Not the only one feeling sleepy this morning clearly - awwwwww so cute!!!

Amy and her new best mate Sophia, a beautiful picture.

Ollie and his new schoolmate Fraier. It took a lot to get them this close to each other, ha ha!!!

Yours truly with my mates Steve and Pia - actually not looking that bad. Mind you I had just had a pick me up Heineken. Clearly does the trick.

Then back to Steve's to collect my serving dish I left on Christmas Day.

Just enough time for those best mates to have some piano practice.

Very cute girls and thank you Sophia for looking after Amy for me - she loves being with you guys.

Move over Beethoven, here comes Amy.

Next stop Carnegie Hall!!!

My first day at my new school

This is actually me, Brian, typing up what Oliver has written.

His first day at his secondary school - SOTA - School of the Arts.

Very proud of him as off he went at 0630 this morning, all alone to get the bus, coming home all alone on the MRT. He is indeed a BIG boy now.

Now is that a cool uniform or what???

So I now hand over to Oliver.

"When I got there we all sat down in the assembly hall/gym/multi-purpose hall for announcements. We sat there for a long time but we had an understanding of what is going on.

Then it was over, we had fun activities planned by the Year 3's. We did name card games, and then a scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt had an activity at every stop, it was so fun, not to mention working with my new class.

Then it was break. The canteen was so cool, vending machines, food and drink stalls and loads of chairs. 

When break was over it was more announcements, then it was lunch. I had chicken cutlet rice and a pineapple juice for $4!

Then we had Fun Day 2014! It was basically a sports day. We did really fun games until dismissal time. Then we had final announcements for the next day.

My day was amazing.

I wish I could do it again."

Well mate at 0630 you will be doing it all again - ha ha!!!

Well done buddy, we are all so very very proud of you!!!