We had a good time in Malacca over the 3 days and are in fact, planning for another road trip up. We stayed in a new boutique peranakan hotel which was only about 3 months old. Other than the tight space, we love almost everything about it. Thankfully, or not, the hotel does not have a pool. Anyway, we were so busy with shopping that we really won't have time for all that.

We brought K to a'Farmosa resort to check out the animal safari there and surprisingly the place looks pretty well maintained in contrast to what I've heard from people. K had fun feeding the rabbits in their enclosure, feeding goats, sheep, miniature horses and going through a mock safari where we got to see tigers, lions, water buffalos and some others.

The weak currency had the eldest brother exclaimed that this was truly retail therapy. Lol. And that's also why we want to return. As we were there during the weekdays, it wasn't as crowded as opposed to the weekends when scores of Singaporeans would travel just for an overnight stay.

We returned on Friday evening and I am still exhausted. The hubs and I brought K to an event as the hubs had signed K up for a trial phonics class. There were so many booths and so many things to see that K became so tired and cranky, by mid afternoon.

It's back to work tomorrow and time to start working for the money again. So that we can go for another holiday!

Tonight's airfried dish. Terikayi Cod Fish:

There are so many airfryer recipes out there but I do not have time to try them out on a normal work week. For now, a simple 2 dish meal will do. Breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. Lol....

Our weekends in August have been filled with so much activities. I'm hoping for a more relaxed September when we can do things at our own pace. 

Yesterday, we had breakfast with Kenneth and Gaye back at Redhill. They had some time to spare as their 2 girls had tuition and after breakfast, we brought them marketing and the usual stalls that we used to patronise and the 'lao-bans' still recognised us and asked why they haven't seen us for so long. Well, they all know now. Lol....After that, the 3 of us went to pick up the PILs and went over to their relative's. 

The same one who always opens up their home for all the other relatives. Although we had mentioned earlier to the youngest SIL to bring the NIL for a swim, the hubs ended up alone with K in the pool as they came much later. Thankfully we didn't have to stay long as we had Gideon's birthday dinner to go to. We left at 3ish, K slept half-way through the drive home, continued her nap at home while I finally got down to mopping the house after 2 weeks!

And so when K and the hubs woke from their naps, we took a short bus ride to Jerry's and spent the rest of the evening with my family.

As for today, we headed to the Victor's for dinner after the usual must have nap for K and this time, myself. The hubs had brought the car for a wash after sending us home from church so I had a lot of peace and could take in a good nap.

On another note, we'll be heading to Malacca this Wednesday with Jeremy and Ivy for a short trip. Our last trip was in January to Phuket and I'm looking forward to a get-away. Anywhere is good and I'm so looking forward to the road trip together!

We had dinner over at Jerry's yesterday and this evening. The hubs had mentioned that he would be home late for the whole week except for Monday so it was very pleasant surprise when he text me yesterday to say that he is fetching K and then suddenly appearing at the playground below Jerry's block today.

My intention to bring K over to Jerry's yesterday was to see M, who had a fall and hurt her forehead. She rubbed the bruise so hard that it moved down to her right eye and looks like someone had punched her. Thankfully, when we went back to see her today, the bruise has grown smaller.

Although I believe it's still hard for my SIL but with Esther around, M is occupied a little bit more. When we were out for dinner with Jeremy and family last Wednesday, Esther actually called M on her mobile to hurry her back. Unlike when she's staying at our place, we're not home half the time and loneliness can make one mad, literally. Hopefully, she is able to occupy herself when her new flat is ready in about 2 years time.

We had a dinner invite to the Salahudeens yesterday, to end their Hari Raya celebrations. A whole lot of our friends were there this time. These are all very nice and genuine people. The Victors, Salahudeens, Whites and Josephs. 

All the girls had fun playing in the bedroom and the adults had great time catching up. We ended the party late with us leaving at 11ish and mind you, the other families were still there!

So tired were we that K did not fight back having to take the afternoon nap after church today. The 3 of us simply knocked out, especially since the hubs and I are still feeling under the weather. This is the time when housework, which is the weekly mopping, can wait.

The Jubilee long weekend took it's toll on me, what with the entertaining and whole lot of being entertained. I was so fatigued on Wednesday that I decided to see a Dr. But also because I was coming down with a flu. But I could only sleep in till about 9ish, despite the house being nice and quiet with the hubs and K away at work and school.

Even when I returned home after visiting the Dr, I started doing the chores but I did it without any complaints. I did so much that I didn't have time for nap that I had planned for earlier. So I indulged myself in a body scrub and mask for my face and hair, like a lady of leisure. Lol...

I picked K up from school much earlier too as we had a dinner invite to an abalone restaurant by the eldest brother. After the hubs came to pick us up, we went to pick M up and then set off to meet Jeremy and the family as well as the SIL's sister and family who are here from the States for a month's holiday.

For yesterday's dinner, I brought the air-fryer out to use, my first time. The previous time was used by the 3rd SIL on National Day and I didn't touch it at all. When I say at all, it's definitely not an understatement. After the party ended, what I saw in the basket of the air-fryer so turned me off that I was considering not wanting to use it ever again. The hubs and I left it for 3 days but because I was on a Martha Stewart mood yesterday, I decided to face the challenge and then to realise it's actually not much of a challenge at all. Hahahaaha...the grime on the grill pan simply slides off when you run your fingers through it. I think it was the 3 day wait that I had to do a little bit more scrubbing on the basket.

Anyhow, this was our dinner yesterday. Easy peasy and fast. So much faster than if I had put it in the oven. And this time, I placed aluminium foil in the baking tray so no hassle to washing at all! Yays....my first air-fryer experience. :)

It's back to work today and we woke up from bed with much reluctance. The hub's 2 brothers and their wives came over to our place yesterday afternoon and the NIL seemed to be so entertained by K's playhouse that he was in there for a while. Except for the 2 kids, we all had durians and chit chatted for a while.

We left for the PIL's new home at about 4ish, supposedly to see the sick MIL. Apparently, she had really bad acid reflux on Saturday night and wanted to cancel yesterday's dinner with the family. But like how the youngest SIL predicted, she ended up going with us anyway. So much drama from her, as always. I do not even want to go into the details of what she said cos I am so sick of hearing the same old things all the time and it's amazing how she can go on talking about herself even though everyone else were not listening to her attentively and were in fact, talking amongst themselves. You can liken her voice to some background noise.

Anyway, I'm glad we were able to sneak in a visit to our home by the BILs. It was impromptu as the MIL called the hubs to 'postpone' the dinner initially and the youngest BIL was 'asked' be her to 'visit' her. I just hope that since now we are the nearest staying to them, there won't be too many 'non-urgent emergency calls' to mobilise the hubs.

The Jubilee weekend saw us feasting and celebrating. We started the Friday off with some shopping and lunch at Ikea before heading back home again so that someone can take her nap. In the evening, we picked the ladies up from Jerry's and headed out for M's advance birthday dinner. Despite it being for her birthday, she treated us and made the booking at the coffeehouse. My wish for her is to continue to be healthy and lucid although her memory is not like before and she still has her stubbornness.

I mopped the house on Saturday morning and after that we went out for lunch and shopping. This was the only day that we did not partake in a big feast as the hubs went out with the guys for dinner and mainly to watch football.

After church today, Ivy came back with us, offering to help us prepare for the evening's party. As Jerry and the 3rd SIL had to work, we celebrated Esther's 10th birthday at our place. We also invited the eldest SIL's sister, husband and their teenage son who are back here from the States. James and his new girlfriend also joined us later in the evening.

Every year, we celebrate National Day as a family especially since we have a National Day baby in our midst and M's, 2 days later. This year's seems to be especially fun. Maybe because our house is bigger and they could make more noise. Lol...

Anyhow, I prepared pesto pasta and 2 shepherd's pie while the 3rd SIL prepared chicken wings, fish balls, bread and Ivy cooked minced beef stew. I made use of my oven for the first time and thankfully had yesterday evening to 'clean' it out. My air-fryer was also finally put to use by the 3rd SIL and in another post, will show how hesitant I am to put it to use again.

Cake cutting was later in the evening. The birthday girl enjoyed herself and the adults too. Thankfully, we have a public holiday tomorrow!

My thermal pot is back to work again! Vegetables were prepared yesterday evening and dumped into the pot early this morning. Thanks to the thermal pot, the soup was still very warm when it was time for dinner and everything tasted oh so good. And omelette to complete our simple meal.

I had to do pick-up duties on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as the hubs had dinner meetings on those 3 days. These are the times when I appreciate the walking distance from K's childcare centre to our home. And we even have time to go to the playground. But of course, not enough for a home-cooked meal.

Today, we went to Jurong Point for lunch and then straight home so that K could fit in a nap but the sleep opposed toddler wouldn't sleep, while the father could. As the hubs and I were going to the NDP preview with Jeremy and Ivy, I walked K over to Jerry's and met the hubs at the train station as he was still getting sorted out when we were leaving.

I had balloted for tickets using my IC, the hubs as well as K's birth certificate but no luck. Since the eldest brother wasn't too anxious about it, I registered them too for the ballot using everyone's IC in their household with my mobile after church one day. The nephew was the only one successful and since he wasn't too keen on going and Bev had to fly, the hubs and I became the natural next in queue. Yay!

It's always a great feeling watching from the stands and this year being the Golden Jubilee, it makes it even more so. 

The Singa figurine, with 1 in every fun pack is so cute that I want to collect all 15 of them!