A Weekend For My Special Boy

I have never driven to the Gold Coast alone. I drove there before but the Husband was with me. Our trip last weekend was my first. I was a bit antsy but I really want to have a lovely weekend with the Little One far from home, so off we went. We had a good and safe drive; as my constant entertainer talked non-stop!

From the start and end of the long weekend, I made sure Kaiden had so much fun!

He had face painting.

Went on this jumping thing.

He wanted to have a donkey ride at first, but I told him that it would be boring as they would just be walking around. Then he saw this and I was surprised that he wanted to go on it. I was glad and amused that my Boy is in for the adventure. He loved jumping up and down and was shrieking with joy!

We went on the AquaDuck bus that goes in the water.

Kaiden thinks that it's so cool that our bumpy bus can float in the water like a boat! He get to drive it with the Captain's help and received an AquaDuck License Certificate!

Had a try at the Mini Golf.

He enjoyed playing at the hotel's pool . . .

. . . and of course, at the beach!

Our stay at the Gold Coast was short but it was filled with such warm memories that Kaiden and I so wished we have shared with his Dada! He already planned to do the same activities and go back to some places when B gets home.

It was a very long and tiring drive on the way home but seeing the fresh face and sweet smile of my Only Son makes it all worth it! An added bonus was when the Little One thanked me for having such a good time! Now, if that will not wipe your exhaustion away, I don't what else would!


Gorgeously . . .

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The Chevron Renaissance Towers

On our long weekend getaway, we stayed at the Chevron Renaissance Towers, which is conveniently situated right at the heart of Surfers Paradise.

It has 3 towers with a number of facilities that will make you want to just stay within the vicinity of the property. They have an indoor pool and spa pavilion, an outdoor pool and barbeque area, a gym and sauna, a games room and theatre.

The Lobby

The Lift

As a security measure for the buildings' residents, you will need to activate the lift by holding the back fob of the key over the black panel on the lift itself before you can press the button of your floor.

Our Room Number

Our Unit

The Bedroom

The View

The Pool

Various restaurants, cafes, bars and shops are just on the ground level of the Chevron Renaissance Plaza. You won't need to go far because almost everything that you need is just within walking distance; even the beach!

I would definitely stay there again!


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Long Weekend Getaway

Kaiden have no class on Monday because of Labor Day. So we are heading out to the beach to enjoy the sun and sand before it gets too cold in the coming weeks, as it is Autumn here right now.

This is where we'll be staying . . .

(The photo is from Google Images.)

My School Boy has been excited for days. How I wish the Husband is here . . .


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Our Saigon Adventure

The Mother and Son are back home safe and sound.

I did not get much sleep on our flight from SGN - BNE, and the result was almost a week of feeling sluggish. I felt like the whole time of being in Vietnam and the flights completely debilitated me! I have been dozing off every chance I get. In contrary to what the Little One was, always bursting with energy and enthusiasm!

Anyways, Kaiden and I had such an amazing time in Vietnam! It is a lovely country to visit, with lots of things to do and places to go to. Like what I mentioned before, Ho Chi Minh City is just like Manila; though HCMC is more congested.

The throng of scooters can be quite dangerous at times if you're not alert. A British friend of The Husband who have lived in the Philippines said that he thought Filipino drivers can sometimes be maniacs on the road, but they are nothing compared to the lunatic riders of Vietnam. He added that Filipinos somehow respects the pedestrian, but not there. I also notice that the locals don't seem to care much about the traffic rules. You'll constantly see cars/scooters cruising opposite a one-way street and going through a red light.

Having said that, once you get past the bikes, you'll enjoy the city. The people are nice and accommodating (I guess once they are off the scooters. Hahaha!). Most of them can speak in English so you won't have a problem communicating. I am always being mistaken as a local; and they just laugh once I told them I am not Vietnamese.

Nearly all of the houses or establishments there are built in a perpendicular and narrow way. We have been to the suburbs and provinces; same thing.



Small hotels and restaurants are everywhere! You can have different kinds of cuisine every meal. Surprisingly, there were no McDonald's and Starbucks. They have KFC, Pizza Hut, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Gloria Jeans, Hard Rock.

And they have Jollibee there!

Cab fare is very cheap. Vietnam's currency is called Dong. US$1 = VND19,000. The flag down rate is VND10,000 = US.50 cents. Really cheap! Like in any other country, some taxi drivers will try to con you by going the long and winding way. Though some are honest and will help you out if you are lost. B recommended to use the taxi company named Mai Linh because they are known to have good drivers. Once you're in the city for a day or 2, you'll know your way around.

Ho Chi Minh City is a good place to explore. You can walk around anywhere, especially in District 1. The Husband lives and works in the same district. Most of the sites and good shopping places are there. You can pay in Dong, US Dollars or Visa Card.

I am not a fan of walking but we usually walked along the city after dinner on the way back to our hotel. It is not bad to do it at night as the temperature goes down. But it is a different kind of ball game during the day. The heat can be so bad that it gets to you easily. Kaiden and I would go out as B heads to work, we'll go home after lunch to have a rest then go out again when the sun calms down.

It is a delight to see Ho Chi Minh City at night. We once strolled through their Red Light District and women were lined up in every bar/restaurant, waiting for a client. Some ladies were scantily clad or dressed in their traditional Ao Dai. I wanted to take snaps of that alley but I got scary stares once I whipped my camera out.

10 days is absolutely short to truly enjoy Vietnam. I do hope the Little One and I will get to go back and tour the country with the Husband. It will be doubly fun to experience new things together as a family!


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So Much To Enjoy . . . So Little Time

This tourism ad is so true. We don't want to go back home yet. 10 days is not enough to explore Ho Chi Minh City alone, not to mention its surrounding cities and the country's capital itself. It would surely be very interesting to see Hanoi. The Husband said it is more traditional and conservative.

I wish we could have at least another week here. The Little One and I came to love the place in spite of the dust, pollution, extreme heat and ignorance of those people on the bikes. We are good now on dodging the scooters. I got ripped off a few times. Even though I am always mistaken as a local, once I conversed in English, the price goes up. But I have learned how to bargain around. I'll talk more about the City on my succeeding posts.

Kaiden and I got 1 more day to go. We are just having a rest at the moment before going out and bracing the heat again. Just making the most of the time we have left.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend . . . we are!


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Off To Be With B

The School Boy and I are flying out tomorrow morning to see the Husband after being apart for almost 3 months! We will be spending Kaiden's Easter Break there. We have been missing our Dada so much!

This trip will be exciting as we will be exploring a new country! Can't wait!



( photo source and Google Images )

Have a good Easter holiday everybody!


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How To Train Your Dragon

The Little One and I watched How To Train Your Dragon in 3D last Saturday.

The movie was very nice and entertaining. I actually enjoyed watching it than Alice In Wonderland. I was impressed how observant Kaiden was. He noticed that the dragon's iris would change when he was scared/mad and happy. He loved the movie as well. I got him a popcorn and soda combo that comes with some giveaway about the movie. He built the cardboard dragon by himself and played with it all throughout our stay at the mall.

The Boy enjoyed the movie so much that he wanted to see it again the following day. Felt sluggish last Sunday and just stayed home. Got tired the previous day. After the movie, we wandered around the mall then saw a friend. Went to their place and stayed there the whole afternoon. Then we attended a kid's party almost 2 hours late! It was embarrassing but I lost track of time. We got home quite late. I must be getting old to be worn out just by that day's activities; when I used to ran around everywhere before and never get tired! Oh well.

Hope you guys had a good weekend!


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Alice In Wonderland

We watched Alice in Wonderland 3D last weekend. I took the Little One together with 2 other kids. They were so excited having their 3D glasses with them as we walked into the cinema with soda and popcorn in hand.

I personally got bored with the movie. Don't get me wrong, it is a delightful kid's show, just not for me. I do love Johnny Depp so I stayed till the end. He is so good looking in whatever role he portray.

The kids enjoyed the movie and vowed to watch the coming 3D movies like How To Train Your Dragon, Toy Story 3 and Shrek 4.

Then we all spent the day in the mall just hanging around and did a bit of shopping for the kids. It was good to finally have a day out with other people, not just Kaiden and me. And I get to be like a kid again being with 3 youngsters!

Gorgeously . . .

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My Valentine Date And Surprise

The Little One was my date last Sunday. Though he said he doesn't feel that it is Valentine's Day because they did not do any art thing at school, unlike last year in Prep. I think he just got the confirmation when the priest briefly mentioned V Day during the Mass.

We got to talk to The Husband when we came back from the church. I was teasing him that I will be waiting for a surprise that day. (I have mentioned before that B's Mum died on Valentine's Day; and his Dad asked the 5 boys not to celebrate V Day, in remembrance of their Mum.) But I wasn't counting on it as I know he's got a lot of things going on and he said that we'll just make up the missed occasions when we're together again.

So Kaiden and I just spent the day eating out from breakfast, lunch and dinner. We had the last meal of the day at a Thai restaurant near our place and the owner said it was sweet having my Son as my date! Most diners were couples or family, at least we're different!

Mid-afternoon, B called if something had arrived. I said none. I asked what it was, he said nothing. I got a bit suspicious because he had been calling almost every half an hour to check if "it" arrived. Then he got no choice but to reveal "it" to me. He said he ordered 'something' for me and the Little Boy to be delivered that Sunday. I was surprised! I told him I understand that we need not to celebrate that day, though he had been doing things every year for me. Then he said: "Do you really think I would let Valentine's Day go without doing something for you, especially now that we're apart?" I was speechless! B do love me! LOL!!!

We came home from dinner, tucked Kaiden to bed and still no delivery. The Husband is getting frustrated. Nobody answers the company phone, so he sent them an email. He said that it will probably be delivered the following day which is totally pointless. I told him that it's alright. The fact that he made an effort to do something for us for that day is enough, late or nothing at all.

Then as I was watching TV, a van pulled up in the driveway. 'IT' had arrived . . . finally, at 15 minutes to 2200H! The lady was very apologetic for the very late delivery.

This was what I got:

The Little One got a plane with toy soldiers. Wasn't able to get pics because I put it next to him in the bed that night and forgot about it as I was takings snaps of the flowers.

I tried calling B several times to let him know that his Valentine surprise were here but his phone was off. Was probably too upset that his plan had a minor (or major?) setback. He was so disappointed on his numerous calls that day.

Valentine's Day is not really that big of a deal for us. I feel like we were over that stage because . . . we're old! Hahaha! Kidding aside, everyday feels like the Day of Love for us, together or apart. Better stop at that, I'm getting cheesy!

Gorgeously . . .

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Celebrating Without The Celebrant

Last Sunday was the Husband's birthday. The 2nd time that we celebrated it apart.

The Little One and I gave B a call first thing in the morning. He said he won't have any celebration for there's nothing to celebrate, as he was alone. I told him that I will make that Sunday a special day for Kaiden and me because I want the Boy to have fun on his Dada's birthday.

We had brunch at C'est La Vie and had these:

I felt kinda sad while eating because I kept on thinking about B. That cafe is one of our favorite eating place.

Kaiden and I stayed at the mall all day. B wanted me to get the Little One a special gift for the day. I was about to, but Kaiden misbehaved and got a bit uncontrollable. I gave him a number of warnings that he won't get a toy if he continue to be mischievous. Being the hyperactive boy that he is, he went on. So no toy for him. I explained the consequences of his actions and let him understand that it's not good to disobey Mummy.

It was hard seeing the disappointment in my child's eyes. I was so tempted to get him something and it is very easy to always say 'YES'; but giving in to everything will not teach him anything. Like right now, he thinks that everything is easy and that he can get/do whatever he wants. Sadly, life is not like that. And as a parent, I know I should be guiding/teaching him about the facts of life as early as now.

B and I are thankful that Kaiden is sort of matured for his age. He asks a lot of questions and try to decipher things on his own. You can talk to him and seek for suggestions; though his answers are childish, it sometimes makes sense.

Anyways, to top our celebration for B's Birthday, we had dinner at Hog's Breath.

The Little One had fish and chips.

I had steak with mushroom, veggies and mashed potato.

Kaiden and I were almost halfway to our meals when he said that he wish Dada was there with us. That B would fly here just for 1 day to be with us! I so wish too!

We are missing B so much that we did not get to finish our food.

I don't want to end our day on a sad note so I ordered their
Strawberry and Chocolate Fondue for dessert.

As always, chocolates will make you feel better; and we did . . . somehow!

Gorgeously . . .

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Rain, Rain, Go Away!

It has been raining here for days now. Good thing the sun showed at Christmas Day. Though some parts of Australia celebrated it with a very wet weather, and some got flooded too! They say it will rain all week. It doesn't shower non-stop but it comes every now and then, giving us that dusky feeling because of the gloomy atmosphere.

I won't let the lousy weather get to us so I'll take the Boy out today; to have fun on the mall's covered play area, maybe get him a toy and just hang out together.

Have a good last Monday of the year!

Gorgeously . . .

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We're Back Home!

The Little One and I flew back here in Oz, the early morning of Tuesday, the 22nd around 0400H. Kaiden was very good on the flight, though complaining of how old the plane was. He is used to having his own TV right in front of him. We boarded a not-so-new Boeing plane where the TV screen was at the center wall. He never liked Qantas, as we normally fly with SQ, CX, EK, KL; though the most he remember are SQ and CX.

Anyways, the Husband was waiting for us as we went out. B gave the Little One a Christmas stocking filled with sweets and I got a big hug and kiss! We stopped by at McDonald's to have breakfast. Then our Boy's non-stop gabble started as he talked about the things he did in the Philippines!

I was kind of weary when we got home but I could not sit still knowing I still have things to do. So I unpacked our luggage. B forced Kaiden and I to hit the sack and have hours rest before lunch. We did as we were told and woke up at past 1400H. The Husband prepared our lunch, we ate, had a shower to freshen up and went to the mall!

The next 2 days before Christmas were all spent shopping (as if I haven't had enough shopping in Manila!!!). Shops here opened till late at night and some were even 24 hours non-stop! How I wish they can do it everyday and not close at 1600H or 1700H.

We had a very nice Christmas day. I'll do a separate entry for that.

Boxing Day was kind of busy for us as we prepare for a post-Christmas Dinner for some relatives. There were a total of 7 kids in the house including Kaiden. Oh, the Boy had lots of fun playing with them, who were mostly boys! They ran around in the yard like crazy and just had a good time!

When I was giving the Little One a bath last night, he told me that he wanted to have a playmate and asked why I could not get pregnant! I could not help but laugh! I told him that Dada and I were trying but maybe it's not yet time. He said he wish to have a baby sister to take care of! How sweet! The Husband and I better work hard for it! LOL!!!

B went on another trip last night. He drove to the airport and I drove back home. It was my first time to drive that long and late at night, not to mention that it rained too. We got home safe as Kaiden fell sound asleep in his car seat. B's flight was at 0100H.

Now it's just the Little One and I again for 3 days as the Husband fly home on Wednesday morning. So here I am back to blogging!

Gorgeously . . .

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Manila . . . 3rd Time In 2009!

The Little One and I went back home to the Philippines in the beginning (January), middle (July) and now, the last month (December) of the year! Lucky us, hey!

The Husband and I were just talking about it over the phone. Being this the Christmas season, prices of everything go sky high. So I said it would be better that we plan our Manila trip by next year. Then I got a surprising email from him and Qantas . . . our E-Tickets! B said he looked at plane fares online and got us a fairly reasonable price, obviously not that cheap! LOL!


Kaiden's last day of school was yesterday and we'll be flying out on Sunday. Sadly, we won't be spending Christmas in Manila. It will just be a 2 weeks vacation and we'll fly home by the time the Husband comes back from overseas as well. We will still be celebrating Christmas here in Australia, a very quiet Christmas.

I hope I get to carry out the things I wanted to do in 2 weeks! I want to do a bit of shopping, see my friends and of course, be with the family! For sure places in Manila will be crowded like crazy, with everyone busy with Christmas shopping. So we'll see . . .

Gorgeously . . .

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