Holiday at home

I feel bad that we aren't taking the brood on a vacation, especially because I am off with Packrat on the coming weekend. Packrat however, feels different. He feels that the brood can have as much fun here as they would overseas sans stress for us.

While skeptical, I just left it at that and started planning what we could do with the kids. I didn't have to do that because while they haven't gotten to the point of asking us to take them on a plane somewhere, they do know how to ask to go to places now. Top on their list was the "Night zoo" followed by the "Jungle".  We could do that by no stretch of the imagination or the dollar. Each place we went to had moments of side splitting hilarity because of the ludicrous nature of the situation.

The "Night Zoo" was fun for all three although they seemed to get an inordinate amount of thrill from being scared of the dark. Even though it was crowded waiting to get in, once we were in, we were mostly the only one on the trails. The only scary bit was when Evan darted in front of Packrat and Packrat lost sight of him. In a flash, Packrat had lost him and only found him as our crying son was led aware by a zoo attendant.

Asking Evan why he didn't tell the zoo attendant my number (which I trained them to recite), he very matter of factly told me that to tell them my number meant he would have had to stop crying and it did not occur to him that him stopping crying was part of the plan.

Jordan's favourite part was to teach the giraffes how to read maps so that they could find their way home.

Muffin just enjoyed being carried and repeating every name of animal announced.

Showing the giraffe the way home.

In between the Night Safari and the Jungle, we went to the Children's Season at the Singapore Art Museum. The twins had brought back flyers from school and Jordan kept showing it to me and asking me to take her. So we went. While smaller than last year, it was far more interactive. Jordan loved dancing in front of a video camera and Evan loved the fact that he could build a fort out of boxes. 

Most hilarious moment, totally unrelated to the museum but happened there. Jordan met a boy from her class. She then insisted that he follow her and she wait for him while he finished at the exhibits we'd been to. Packrat was not amused at what this meant for the future and was heard telling Evan that he would buy a shotgun in the future and teach him how to shoot Jordan's boyfriends. Whereupon the guileless and tickled Evan charges up to Jordan who was with boy classmate and his father, and shouts "Jordan, Papa will buy me a gun when I grow up so that I can shoot your boyfriends!" While I am totally against the idea of guns and my children playing with guns, that comment had me doubled over in stitches and very quietly, the boy and his dad had slinked off, much to Jordan's dismay. 

As with last year, the museum was too much for me, stimulation wise and I ended up with a royal headache. Thankfully, the "Jungle" being Lower Pierce Reservoir trails were nice and peaceful. 

To their credit the kids walked all the way; even little Muffin. They made up adventures about Gruffalos, snakes, itsy bitsy spiders and giant ants that could eat them. I felt bad for the wildlife because Evan has only one volume and it is loud, despite all our shushing. They picked up sticks, looked at leaves and generally had a lot of fun in the great outdoors. 

Moment of hilarity was when all 3, having decided that it was a good idea to wear wellies to the Jungle had hot feet and took off their boots. Because I refused to carry them, they all carried their own boots. 

Muffin fell asleep the minute he finished drinking water. A true testament to how exhausted he was. I am just thankful no one got bit by mossies. 

All 3 had fun although only 2 were appreciative enough to say "thank you". But the third was excused on account of being asleep and only 2+. 

So, Packrat was right. They really didn't need to travel to have fun. And because it was much less stressful for us, we had a whole lot of fun too!

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