Rango

J's first movie as part of a GV event:

I'm glad I chose the seats whereby his stroller could be parked beside me (since he likes to be inside it). So I managed to keep him seated for about half the movie by constantly giving him snacks. Even so, law of diminishing marginal return kicks in and I find him constantly fidgeting but we managed to stay inside the cinema. I saw how other kids kicked up a fuss and I'm glad we caught most of the movie! But, I am not planning to head to the movies with J that quickly :D

Maldives: An Unforgettable Trip

I think the pictures speak for themselves and I have taken many more photos of the beautiful scenes of Maldives (but nothing beats the real thing).

We chose Zithali, a resort that required seaplane transfer and it was a great decision since the ride came with breathtaking views of atolls. Our water villa at Zithali comes with a private pool, jacuzzi, rainshowers. For me, this was a holiday where I had no desire to be out of the hotel room to explore the surroundings. It seemed to be an incredibly expensive way to laze around (since J stayed behind in Singapore) but it was important time spent alone and as a couple. The most active activities we did were to snorkel and cruise around looking for dolphins and enjoy the sunset over the Indian Ocean. For someone like me who is scared of all other living creatures, the experience was outside of my comfort zone and it was actually fun!

On the return flight, I came across an article in the Singapore Airline magazine that listed the top travel destinations and unsurprisingly, Maldives made the list and it is definitely a place that I would revisit :)

Top 5 things about J

Coming in at number 5,

J is an Energy Zapper!

He is always game to play... with his toys or just crawling or cruising along... sometimes he hides at the coffee table or sofa and waits for one of us to call out to him and smile the widest smile :) He never runs out of energy and we can play forever the 'where is???' game while he points to the clock, fridge, bear or whatever object in question... I suppose this is the part of where parenting helps trains/builds patience (which I lack sorely).

At number 4,

J loves food! (no surprise here given his size)

His radar is perpetually on and he never fails to approach us whenever he sees/senses food in our hands! On the plus side, he readily gets into the highchair when prompted with 'mum-mum' and typically does not take too long to finish a meal. Still, I shall be monitoring his weight so he does not stay as a fatty boy boy for too long...

At number 3,

J loves people! (in personality profiles, he should score highly on Extraversion)

He is never shy around people and he is happy to meet people. There was a bout of separation anxiety (around 11 months) but I think he is very comfortable with people in general, especially other children. Sometimes he can be overly friendly and may accidentally scratch/pinch them. Oops.

At number 2,

J has a mind of his own (or is stubborn!)

He wants to get his way. For this to happen, he will 'tell' (i.e. point/ grunt/ wail etc) you what to do. This applies for a particular book he wants to read (or destroy), where he wants to go (usually out!), what he wants help with (e.g. wear does and then takes them off and then wears them... some game *groan* etc)...

And finally at number 1,

J is lovable! (he is my son afterall :D)

He's always ready to give a hug and can be coaxed to plant a kiss (wet ones and mouth to mouth too)! Need I say more???!

J's is ONE!

We had a small celebration with family and close friends. J was happy for most part of the day since we held the party in between his nap times. He even held little R's hand... hm... potential girlfriend in future. Thanks to everyone for your well wished :)

The only outburst that day was when he was choosing items (including a book, calculator, egg to represent food, ruler etc as dictated by tradition). After choosing the book, he decided to pick up the egg and for some unknown reason threw it onto the floor and when it cracked, it startled him and he wailed! what a funny moment and I captured it here:



We also took him to the studio for more professional shots to commemorate this milestone. Stay tuned for the pictures!