Merry Christmas everyone!

This Christmas is so different from all the others but yet we choose to celebrate despite the imperfection!

The announcement was made that Phase 3 would only begin on the 28th of December, so we weren't able to have Jeekoh, Debbie, Denise, and Darren over as we usually would. We were fortunate that Mel's household of 5 was still able to come over to spend Christmas with us. 

Even though this year's gatherings and the feasting was scaled down, the meaning and message of Christmas were even more pronounced to me. This year seemed bent on robbing us of hope but the truth of the hope we all hold is really in us through Jesus. As we celebrate everything bright and beautiful in a world that'd gotten that much darker, I pray that we will each keep reaching toward better tomorrows for ourselves and for the ones around us too!

A blessed Christmas to all!

The boys have set Santa up for a healthier Christmas.

Times and Tides

It's our first time doing an inter-tidal walk with Young Nautilus. It felt like an adventure since we were out there on the beach around the time we would normally be calling it a day. Armed with torches (and Zachary with his net and stick) we walked the beach with our guide to find out what the tide left for us to find. 

This was Daddy's first time with us and we were so glad to have him there.

Sea cucumber: you can only tell which is the front when it sticks its tongue out!

Out of the four of us, I think I was the most enthusiastic about spotting the creatures and knowing what they were. The boys were most enthusiastic about spotting their friends who were being guided in their own family groups. Even though we signed up together, safe distancing measures had to be enforced so separate groups and staggered timings were the next best option. Still, we did manage to take just one quick photo before grabbing a really late dinner.

 

Pattis Down Under -- Touch Down!

Happy together

We have arrived!

The flight was tiring though I got a little shut-eye. Thankfully Zac and Eli managed to sleep on the airplane. I was flanked by both boys so I barely moved during the whole journey. I'm just grateful to be on solid ground again!

We hailed a cab from the airport after getting an Optus sim card for Leroy's phone. I think we have all been utterly spoilt by having data plans and being able to connect to the Internet when we so please. It made me feel more at ease that Lewis and Lenard had roaming even though we were scarcely going to be more than a few meters away from each other all week long!

The cab ride was quick and we got to our Somerset serviced apartment on Elizabeth Street in no time. Now that we have been travelling a bit with our boys, staying in a service apartment is really the way to go especially since that means I get to go to supermarkets, farmers markets and eat take out in the comfort of "home"!

Our first order of the day after unpacking a little was LUNCH! We went to Mekong for pho, an excellent choice to settle tummies with travel sickness.

We rested up a little back in the room before coming out again to take a walk around the Crown casino area. Dinner at the food court in the hotel near the casino was steep and meals easily came to AUD$15 a person (and we were eating pizza, noodles and pie, nothing really fancy)!

Pattis Down Under - Off We Go!

We're off on our Aussie adventure with the Ng family! A whole week in Melbourne and I'm so looking forward to it. (Not looking forward to being on an airplane but whatever will get me to my vacation.)

We're on the midnight flight and I hope the kiddos sleep a decent amount. I was a little worried about Eli because he kept saying that he didn't want to go on holiday and he wanted to stay home. Praying for an enjoyable trip all around!

We need a Vacation

The 2 of us in Greece many moons ago.

Been doing a lot of spring cleaning and purging our cabinets and desks have yielded a trip down memory lane. I found this photo of us at the Acropolis when we went on a Greece island-hopping adventure before the boys came. Len looks so relaxed and rested in the photo. That was a good holiday where we got to enjoy each other's company even though we were with a tour group. I loved that we didn't need to stress out about the details and we did whatever we chose to do.

"Holiday" takes on a different meaning now that we are parents. We plan like crazy trying to do as much as we can, eat as well as we can, shop as much as we can, bond as much as we can, have as much fun as possible, and RELAX... why can't we relax?? Why can't I relax?

I realise that everytime we are on holiday, there's this pressure to make the most of the money spent. I try to experience the places we go to to the fullest extent because I know I may never come by this way again. As much as I love being on holiday, I hate that unseen pressure to squeeze every last precious moment out of every single minute and capture it all on my iPhone.

As we plan out Melbourne holiday with the Ng family, I notice I'm a lot less stressed out. Having company and people to share our time with actually takes some of the heat off being "in charge" of everything (packing, planning, meals, laundry, entertainment, et al). while we are on vacation. I'm still contemplating what I would like to achieve this holiday and to sort my mind and heart out so I can enjoy this time with my family more.

To be continued....

June Holidays: Sentosa Staycation

We've just wrapped our June staycation at Resorts World Singapore. Four families, three fun-filled days just stone's throw from home.

Day 1:
Check in was at 3PM so we met the Ng family at Toast Box for breakfast before heading to Universal Studios Singapore (USS). We were all running behind schedule this morning but it was nice to be able to take our time and not feel pressured to rush.

Norohnas, Ngs and Pattiselannos

Pattiselannos ready!

 The first ride we went on was Madagascar: A Crate Adventure. Eli was not a willing participant (perhaps after having been overwhelmed by our adventure in Disneyland in December) and was quite fretful the whole time we were in line and just downright panicked once we got into the boat. The ride was akin to a more exciting It's A Small World-type of experience. Everyone else enjoyed it.

While we waited for the Lim family to join us in the park, we went on King Julien's Beach Party Go-Around before heading to The Lost World. We split up to do the dino rides because of varying degrees of daring. Robin and Jackie went with Lewis, Leroy and Isaac on Canopy Flyer, I went with Justin, Zac and Leon on Dino-Soarin' while the other mummies, Len and Eli looked on. Justin, Len and Zac later joined Chee Meng and Nicholas at Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure for a wet and wild ride.

Still feeling sensitive

You're LUNCH!

We headed back to Hard Rock Hotel to check into our rooms after a few more rides. The boys were more than happy to switch into swim gear to try out the pool. Dinner was at Malaysian Food Street and then Candylicious to browse and eat too much dessert.

 Day 2:
It's Adventure Cove Day! After a quick breakfast under the golden arches, we adjourned to the water theme park for some fun in the sun. The weather was nice and hot even though it rained the night before. The Norohnas and Pattiselannos had never been in the park before but the Ngs and Lims knew their way around to know where to park ourselves - the wave pool. It was fairly crowded but we thankfully managed to find 2 seats in a shaded area for Jackie and our things. Fifteen people on 2 chairs. Right.

Almost all of us in a tunnel along the lazy river.

We spent most of our time on the lazy river (you ride this on giant donut rings if you can get one, otherwise, a lifejacket is all you need) or in the wave pool as predicted. We ate lunch in the park but it wasn't long before Zac and Eli decided they'd had enough and wanted to head back to the hotel to rest up. The rest headed back to the hotel soon after that.

To kill time before dinner, we headed to Vivocity with our free pass on the monorail. Of course, we headed there to keep the kids from climbing the walls in boredom so we camped out at Toys R Us for the most part. Dinner was at Hard Rock Cafe but the monorail station is right where the restaurant was located so we didn't have to hurry too much.  I was grateful we were having an early dinner and even more grateful that Hard Rock Cafe had beef pho on the menu! Jackpot! Something that Eli would be happy to eat and since he was in an over-tired grumpy state, I was glad not to have to cajole, coax, and convince him to eat mac and cheese!

L to R: Justin, Leroy, Isaac and Zac

 Little mercies. Thank you God!

Day 3:
After watching Holland trash Spain in the World Cup game, the daddies managed to catch a few winks before breakfast at Slappy Cakes. They were in fairly good spirits but I'm certain they all felt like zombies inside.

We were supposed to check out by noon today so we headed back to the hotel to finish up packing and loading our stuff. We'd planned to go to the Marine Life Park after we'd settled our luggage.

The Norohnas babysitting while we packed.

 God is so good and gave us 2 lovely days of sunshine. This third day, it rained and we were thankfully doing an indoor activity! I'm not the biggest fan of snorkelling and being one with nature and all its cold, scaly wonders but I do love aquariums and looking at these beautiful living things. It's hard not to marvel at the creativity and innovation of our God when you get a glimpse of these things that would otherwise be hidden from our view.

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Trying to take a photo of this many children is no small task!

There is even a turtle!

Jellyfish!

It's nothing like looking at seafood to stir up an appetite. We lunched at RamenPlay, and hung out for a little while before saying our goodbyes. I'm always a little sad and unwilling to part with our friends after a holiday like this but I'm grateful that there is always a next time. I've been blessed with such great people in my life and am looking forward to many more adventures to go on together!