Hello Tayo & Friends!

January 22, 2019January 22, 2019alittlefootprint Leave a comment

Whenever weekend comes around, we go “yay!” but also constantly ask each other “Where shall we go?” … sometimes, we just run out of any bright ideas.

So when @missyjesslyn’s mummy texted me with a “hey, I remember Little Foot likes Tayo… Are you interested for playdate at Tayo Station before the place opens to the public?” of course I said YES YES YES!!!

We’d just celebrated her 4th birthday last month with an fantastic customed Tayo and Friends cake ( as always, the best creation from Cloud9 Bakeshop) and I had run around town trying to find a manageable way to create a Tayo themed party. So it’s no secret that this little girl loves Tayo. In fact, she has officially named Papa Long’s car “Tayo” and calls the Green and Red SBS buses on the roads “Rogi” and “Gani”. 😂

So Sunday came and we got up bright and early (Mummy super groggy) and drove eastwards to E-hub, Downtown East for the playdate.

The excitement on her face when we reached the floor of Tayo Station was priceless.

“Ooooh! Tayo!”

{Anticipation}

Once we got in with our other little friends, we were spoilt for choice as to where to begin. Eventually, Little Foot headed straight for the climbing playground.

“Let’s go slide!”

The obstacles were manageable for Little Foot, who sometimes struggle when it comes to obstacle courses, but boy oh boyyy she made it …and the two slides were rather too exciting for this mummy (yeah, I chickened out on the big slide and climbed back down. Oops!).

Little Foot and her playdate mates also had a good time driving around the Garage. The little vehicles are really fun, wriggle and watch them go! Littler kids would be able to manage with the Tayo little buses which are smaller than the wriggling ones.

Ready? 3… 2… 1… Go!

And then there was the corner with the Tayo kiddy slides and giant building bricks, suitable for the younger children. Someone spent a long time there, sliding and building a small house for herself 😉

The Hinoki room was also something she enjoyed, as she did in Pororo Park (which she has visited many times).

I personally like the Hinoki smell a lot as well 🙂

And of course, not forgetting the ball pit area… where she practiced stage-diving *facepalm*

The place has a mini TV theater where Tayo and the Little Buses played on screen, a rest and refuel area where there are vending machines for snacks, ice cream and drinks (sorry, no outside food allowed!)

Rest and recharge!

Fancy some Tayo shows?

And rooms which you can book for birthday parties.

If you wish to know whether it was fun, well, Mummy Joyc and Papa Long took over an hour to coax Little Foot to leave when it was time for lunch. If we didn’t, she’d have been happy to play till closing time! Of course, she had to buy a little souvenir for keepsake, and chose Alice the Ambulance.

Thank you @missyjesslyn and mama for the invite, and thanks Tayo Station for hosting us. We’re ordinary folks who love a bit of fun, and it’s a pleasant surprise whenever we get opportunities like this, to just play and enjoy ourselves.

Little Foot is definitely looking forward to more fun with Tayo sooner if not later.

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If you are looking for a Tayo-themed place for party, this is the place to make your kid’s dream come true. And there’s a Promotion as well, so why not?

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Don’t forget to follow us at A Little Footprint on Facebook and @littlefootdemummy on Instagram for the fastest updates on Little Foot’s and Mummy Joyc’s adventures and happenings.

First time to the movies: Preparing Little Foot for a great experience

June 26, 2018June 26, 2018alittlefootprint Leave a comment

During the long Hari Raya weekend, almost on a whim, we brought Little Foot to the cinema for the first time in her life.

Little Foot is 3.5 years young now, and I did begin to wonder if she would be considered rather suaku to not have gone to the cinemas before. After all, she has become quite acquainted with the watching Disney movies on your home TV, and her deft fingers find the spots to touch, swipe and press when she’s having a dose of PJ Masks on her tablet phone.

It was not entirely a whim, as I have seeded the idea to her some days before, and mentally prepared her for what a cinema experience was like. The last thing we needed to her to freak out when the lights all went out!
So here’s how we got it to work out:

P.S. you may not agree with all that’s on this list, but hey, sometimes we should just loosen up really.

a) Choose the right movie

At her age, children in her class are carrying all kinds of cartoon characters on their bags and water bottles. She has a classmate who is a fan of The Incredibles, and so she has heard of it and recently watched the first version and told us she liked Violet (oh well, because she’s a girl with long hair). So this June, it was a no brainer that we went with The Incredibles II, considering that there weren’t other Disney options.

b) Choose the right day

Toddlers have moods, and boy oh boy, does mine have a temper to reckon with. There are just some of those days when they wake up incredibly grouchy remain disagreeable for the better part of the day. Well, those are not the good days that’s for sure. Hence I said we went on a whim, because I assessed that it was definitely a good mood day for her and we thus have a higher chance of having a good time, so let’s just go now, now, now!

c) Helping the little one visualize and imagine what is a cinema

Days before, when I first seeded the idea of going to the cinema, Little Foot asked “What’s a cinema?” and so I pulled a photo from Google images, showed her this is how it looks like, and what people do. We go through questions like “Can you talk loudly in a cinema?”, “Can you cry and say you want to leave halfway through the show of want to change to other cartoons?” and I explained that only the best behaved children get to go watch the cartoons on the giant screen. She was all excited and fascinated at the idea of going to the cinema filled with other people.

d) Getting the right ammo

Yes, indeed, I call that giant popcorn and large iced lemon tea my ammunition. Little Foot loves iced lemon tea, so much so that Pokka Green Tea has been relegated to 2^nd string on her choice of drinks whenever she has a chance to choose (Don’t worry, she still drinks a good dose of her Nan Pro 3 daily). The best part about the drink? There was an Incredibles II collectible cup and she got to choose one with a Violet figurine on top. Yeap, you can call me a carrot head, but it’s an outing and when you wanna have fun, just go all out for it! And she did in fact behave well throughout the show while sipping on the lemon tea which we shared.

e) Holding hands

In the dark, it is easy for us to get absorbed in the show, but we are also mindful that Little Foot may get anxious. And she does get scared whenever there is a villain or monster, or some fights going on in the shows she watches, so we held hands through the show. In fact, she hugged Papa’s arm throughout most of the movies (I’ve said many times, she’s just like his little lover!)

f) Preempting toilet emergencies

So proud that our little girl has started her toilet training this June, and she has more or less gotten the hang of it, but to prevent any mishaps, we got her to wear a pull-up pants anyway, so that we do not end up having an “accident” which will surely spark her cries. Anyhow, this brave little one sat throughout 95% of the movie and only towards the end kept telling us she’s gotta go, and dead firmly refused to do it in her diaper. So after the villain was defeated, Papa whizzed her off to the toilet.

All in all, we really had a good time. And I think this means that there will be more to come, when the stars align again 🙂

Dear Dad, I bought you socks…

December 28, 2017alittlefootprint Leave a comment

Hey, this is Little Foot’s mummy, and this is written to my dad, Little Foot’s grandfather.

On Christmas Day, I gave my Dad four pairs of socks.

If I am not wrong, this is the first time in my life I had a Christmas present for him (our family is not Christian, and I am the lone Catholic convert in my family).

I didn’t add a note to the gift package, just “Merry Christmas!” Written on the wrapper and signing off with my name and Little Foot’s. And he received it amidst the mayhem of our family gathering.

The point is, when I finally had time to sit down and pause for awhile, I regretted not writing a proper note.

So here goes…

Hi Daddy,

Hope you like the socks. They aren’t the most sexy or expensive things to buy, but I know you need them, and I tried to choose the colours you used to wear.

Since the diabetic diagnosis, and having been there with you on a few of your check-ups, it finally dawned on me that the years have caught up with you and Mummy.

I see the lines on your face, the shuffles of your feet getting more obvious, and I see you slouched over, dozing off while we wait. And I felt heavy-hearted. Mummy too, looks washed out.

“Where had all the years gone?” I wondered… and I have to choke back my emotions.

We never had many deep conversations, in fact we hardly talked. Over the years, sometimes I did wonder if we could have had a better relationship … I guess we just took for granted that you will always be you, polishing your beloved cars and watches, letting the TV watch you sleep, eating your favourite things like canned fruits and drinking teh-O…

That you suddenly didn’t look so good, and suddenly was diagnosed with diabetes, it was a wake up call for us.

The doctors have talked quite a bit about adjusting to things, taking better care of yourself – diet, exercise, hygiene etc.

And you needed to start wearing shoes and socks for better footcare.

Hence I bought you socks.

I hope that with baby steps, we can all help you adjust to the new way of life, make it a sustainable lifestyle and one that isn’t so dreadful to bear.

Children forgive their parents always, and whatever inadequacies or absenteeism from our growing up life is really already water under the bridge.

End of the day, deep down, we just care.

And so, with four pairs of socks, I just wanted to tell you, we care, and we want to see you continue to enjoy the life and routine you always had, with a little bit of extra effort.

I hope you wear them and know you are loved by your children and grandchildren.

And I wish you many many more Christmases spent with us.

With love,

Joyc

Reflections on Two… a year of grow grow grow

December 11, 2017December 11, 2017alittlefootprint Leave a comment

Little Foot turned Three in what feels like a blink of an eye…As with each year, I take time to reminisce this motherhood journey, and find time to write my Little Foot a little note.

No one was kidding when they said the days are long but the years are short. It never fails to amaze me that it wasn’t so long ago that I had a little bundle in my arms, so tiny we were afraid we would break a bone of hers if we were not careful… and now? She’s more than half my height, and twice the personality I am. Everything has moved so fast, but I am thankful and grateful each day that she is growing well.

What a year it has been…

From Hello Kitty to Elsa

Remember how she loves Hello Kitty soooo much? Well, she’s kinda outgrown Hello Kitty, but still “alright” with the Sanrio character which I also love. And now she has moved on to being a big fan of Elsa, so we made her wish come true and got her the full works for her birthday party.

Just play….

It was also a year of play and play, as we cut back on enrichment classes and allowed her (and ourselves) time to roam free.

We went out to meet Mr Sun..

We had picnics…

We took selfies…

We sang, we danced,

We giggled and we laughed…

We had so many “birthdays” because she loved it so much…

And we went out to see the world…

And through it all, Little Foot learned and we learned too.

It’s been a year of great self-exploration and adventures, I daresay.

It’s was also a year where I was more absent… And also a year where we found it trickier to deal with her tantrums and antics.

Through it all, we learned and she learned too. We grew stronger and closer.

Dear Little Foot, this year, we all had to adjust a lot to Mummy’s new work routine, which would take me away from you a lot more, and see me more distracted when I am around. I can sense how much you miss me these days, and I feel your anguish at my sporadic absence. And I thank you for your neverending, overflowing love for me.

As we approach THREE, things may not be easier, but hopefully you will be able to better understand and be more patient with me, as I try to be with you. Let’s continue to grow together!

Thanks for a year that was filled with so many Little Foot memories that I thank God over and over again for you. As always, Mummy and Daddy hope that your days be filled with happiness, and may you grow up well and healthy. Know that through good times and bad, you will always be my baby and I only have the deepest love for you.

Happy Birthday, my dearest girl… let’s celebrate all through December!

Love as always,

Mummy

Closer to Mother Nature

August 13, 2017August 13, 2017alittlefootprint Leave a comment

11 to 13 Aug 2017

Post-National Day (and my birthday), I wanted to make the most of our time together this long weekend. I feel a sense of urgency because this baby is growing so fast. And also because of the dreadful feeling knowing that next week, work duty calls again.

So, for three days in a row, we went close to nature. I am hardly a nature lover, because mozzies just love me too much, but since I had decided on a whim to sign myself up for a school field trip with her, I bit the bullet and just went.

Of course I made sure I overpacked my Ju-Ju-Be Be Right Back with every cream and ointment we would need plus other toddler essentials.

Loading up my Ju-Ju-Be Be Right Back for the trip

(This mama really one kiasu mama!)

The field trip to Gardenasia was rather fun. Little Foot had been anticipating the visit to the “plants farm!” since I started mentally preparing her for it a few days ahead.

And so here we are, accomplished plant potters!

❤Little Foot’s first plant! ❤

To many parents, a day out alone with the Little One is nothing. For me, it is still a leap of faith… taking baby steps to overcome my anxieties and irrational fears. I am hardly out alone with her since that near-fainting on the MRT episode when she was 8 months young.

As I consciously worked towards overcoming my anxieties, every little achievement seems like I’ve conquered a mountain.

And so it was that I successfully did this field trip with Little Foot without Papa Long in tow. Celebrate with me!

Then on Saturday, by chance, a trip to Little Foot’s BFF’s place brought us to Seng Kang Riverside Park. A little piece of mangrove and a floating platform…. the two toddlers had fun holding hands and walking around, and then chasing some bubbles.

After her flirt with nature, we had a situation in McDonald’s… sighhh… someone tell me why she always misbehaves when she is with me and Aunty Lily… but that shall be another story for another day.

At night before bedtime, Little Foot talked about feeding fishes. So it was that she went to bed holding that thought. I went to bed wondering if I shouldn’t have threatened to put her in the dustbin for her atrocious behaviour.

On Sunday we woke up and I tried to get us all ready to go somewhere as painlessly as possible. There were of course the usual procrastinations when it came to taking a bath and brushing teeth.

And then we asked ourselves, “Where shall we go?”

Papa Long suggested the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden before we went to feed the fishes at another part of Botanical Gardens.

Our first visit to the place, which would have rivalled all the nature walks we did in Perth, if not for our tropical weather which also meant the place is a home for all kinds od insects including mosquitoes!

Little Foot was distracted by her packet of Jagabee which she has been demanding to rip open while in the car. So Papa made it a game — every house you reached is a checkpoint, and you get one chip when you get there. And so began the exploration of the little garden.

Some of the areas were undergoing construction/upgrading, but there was definitely enough for a kid to be entertained.

1st checkpoint!

Conquering her dislike for sand for awhile because she likes going down the slides more!

Let’s cross some bridges

And find some fishes

And look for some herbs too!

Finally we fed the fishes and had lunch at Food For Thought (incidentally, it was their last day of operation)

And so as the sun starts to set on this week, I do think a little bit more of nature will be good for Little Foot. Even if my legs are now peppered with mozzie bites.

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