From Dreamland to Candyland

Today is Good Friday, and it’s absolutely fabulous though a bit surprising that I’m not on shift this holiday. Seizing the chance to have a lie-in while the husband watches the kids, I realise sleep is a true luxury. Even if luxury comes in twenty-minute packages. The last wisps of sleep scatter as M5 bursts into my room. She wants to know if she can follow our housekeeper to church for the Good Friday service. I say it’s ok, as I get ready to go to Serene Chua’s birthday luncheon at Ce La Vi. What does one wear to a Candyland-themed party? I opt for a pink silk dress by Jo Kilda and accessorise with a pair of padparascha rings.

As it turns out, the ladies are marvellously decked out in bubblegum blues and pastel pinks. The section by the bar has been closed off for the party and decorated with enormous balloons and bouquets of flowers. On the tables strewn with candy are drawings made by Serene’s daughter. In fact, her children join us just before dessert and my goodness, they look so darling. As a matter of fact, they remind me of my kids and I wonder how the husband is coping on his own with them.

The A To Z Of Our Afternoon At Zion

When the husband, M4 & M6 pick me up from Marina Bay Sands, I enter the car into a cacophony of tales about their day thus far. Apparently, little M6, just three years old, was well aware that there is no nanny accompanying him today. Hence he had packed his own tiny luggage complete with spare clothes and toothbrush. My husband was surprised when M6 opened his bag up to demonstrate evidence for getting into messy adventures, since there were indeed spare clothes to change into. So after lunch, they went cycling and got into all sorts of silliness.

Now, with me to look after the boys, the husband decides he is able to indulge a bit. Hence he declares we are going to Zion Riverside Food Centre. I try to think of something clever to say about being at Zion on Good Friday, but the husband is too focused on a mission to pay attention. As I take the boys for a stroll by the canal to watch strangers who are fishing, the husband enjoys some alone time: waiting for the char kway teow stall to open so he can queue for said delicacy. http://danielfooddiary.com/2019/03/08/zionroad. Since he has spent the better part of the holiday looking after the kids single-handedly, I figure I owe him this much. The look on his face when he returns with his char kway teow is priceless.

Home Again Home Again Jiggety Jig

After tea at Zion Road, we pick M5 and the housekeeper up and go home together. In the car, M5 tells us all she learnt about Good Friday and the kids swap tales. At home, the dogs scramble around us in welcome.

M4 has an idea: he wants to make a frozen model so palaeontologists can practise digging for mammoths. However, he is stymied because his sister keeps asking him what he’s doing and his father keeps sniffing his ear for fun. Not to mention, his mother keeps taking photographs as he gets progressively annoyed! Determined to complete his project despite these inconvenient distractions, he dons a mask and soldiers on. He even wears it to dinner. However he has to shift the eye holes to his mouth in order to eat his favourite home-made char siew. I snap some more photographs of dinner, during which M5 sings loudly, M4 groans in response and M6 leaps about unrestrained.

The husband pours a big glass of something French, and declares it is time for a drink. I agree, it’s a good time to celebrate the end of a lovely day, not just a good but fabulous Friday.