Home is where the family is

The coming of the long weekend had JED asking us what we were going to do. We didn't have any plans to go away so we asked them  what they wanted to do.

This was their list.
1. Have their cousin B sleepover.
2. Go swimming at Grandpa and Grandma's club (their club's pool has got slides and water features)
3. Visit and hang out with Uncle B
4. Sleep in our room.

We're half way through the long weekend and this is what we've done.

1. We went to Uncle B's and Evan and Muffin set the record in chicken rice eating. As I watched the two boys polish off 2 containers of chicken rice with full condiments, I was filled with both pride and fear. Before my eyes were just 2 of the many reasons why my children would soon bankrupt me.



2. JED went on their first night adventure trek. Uncle B lives near the beach and outfitted with torchlights, we walked by the river to the beach at dusk. It is filled with mosquitoes, wild chickens, bats, chameleons and strangely a Hansel and Gretel trail of oranges. They loved the walking in the dark with torch lights. Muffin pretended he was a firefly, holding his torchlight on his back.



3. On the way home, we pick up Cousin B and Jordan, Evan and Cousin B gossip all the way back about their favourite cartoon trading views about their favourite characters. For the first time, we realised that they weren't pre-schoolers anymore but little individuals with interests. They continue that conversation while I was trying to tuck them in and the two girls natter away till they fall asleep.

I see for the first time what Jordan is going to be as a teenager.

4. JED spend National Day morning hanging out with Cousin B, climbing door frames, playing hide and seek and eventually settling down to watch My Little Pony where they trade more information and facts with each other.



5. They do make it to Grandma and Grandpa's club with Cousin B in tow and end up with mid morning tan lines, drenching all the adults with water canons and finding different and new ways to go down the water slide and upping each other's attempt.

6. Then there was the National Day staple of watching of the parade. This year, we are informed by Evan that our President is Dr Tony Tan and the planes that are part of the fly past are F15's. We are however, misinformed by him that our National Anthem is One People, One Nation, One Singapore. When we pointed out the actual National Anthem to him as his favourite Chinooks flew the flag past the parade grounds, he claimed Majulah Singapura was just a National Day song and was extremely disappointed at not hearing his idea of the National Anthem. 

As expected, they are exhausted by the last two days as are both Packrat and I. But it has been a nice sort of tired, where we haven't done anything exceptional or expensive but just hung out and spent a great amount of time with those who are part of the family. And it being National Day and all, it seemed very much like the apt thing to do.