Pink Fong Baby Shark Live Musical

Baby shark dudududu!

That jingle simply stays in your head, right? It is so addictive that sometimes I find myself humming to the tune subconsciously. Both my boys love it too, even Aiden (although he won’t admit to it openly)! *chuckles*

Hence when Astro offered us opening tickets to the international debut of Pink Fong Baby Shark live musical, we were absolutely elated!

VIP tickets!

The kids were absolutely delirious that they were one of the first few privileged to watch the musical on opening night.

The live musical featured the full original Korean cast and crew, including popular characters such as Pink Fong and Baby Shark. The show was approximately 65minutes long, and we enjoyed every minute of it! I had my doubts about how the show would appeal to kids at Aiden’s age, but it turned out to be such a fun, cheerful and colorful musical; I found both boys singing and clapping by the end of the show!

Quality family time.

In a nutshell, the musical storyline was about how Daddy Shark enlisted Pink Fong’s help to find the missing playful little Baby Shark. To bring Baby Shark back to it’s family safely, Pink Fong and friends embarked on an adventurous journey and encountered many dangerous situations. To give you an idea of how interactive the show was, we were entertained by the popular hit song Baby Shark (at least three times!), the crowd was invited to dance along and do a Mexican wave, and the cast even walked down from the stage to mingle with the crowd at the end.

Baby Shark was definitely the star of the show.

Pink Fong and friends.

If you find yourself guilty of humming to the same Baby Shark tune, get your tickets quick before the show ends. The live musical will run between 8-16th Sept at 11am, 2pm and 6pm at the Plenary Hall, KL Convention Centre.

Diaper Bag Woes

When expecting a third baby, the number of things that you need to buy significantly reduces.

Thankfully, baby AY is a girl - hence at least I get to buy new clothes. Itu pun we will probably recycle her brother’s swaddles, blankets etc. Baby equipment lagi lah tak payah beli. We are definitely reusing the stroller, car seat, baby chair, bathtub, sterilizer and such.

But my hands are itching to buy something new other than clothes or baby bottles! Something that signifies the coming of a baby girl. Finally I settled for a new diaper bag.

And after some research, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that diaper bags in the market are BORING. I understand that some parents would prefer a unisex colour (I would do the same for my first child so I can reuse in the future) and some would want a bag designed not to look like a diaper bag so that it can be carried by the husband too.

But for me, this is (potentially) my last baby and I simply want to scream to the world that yes, this is a diaper bag, and yes, it’s for a girl! Which means that I want the bag in prints and in pink! Unfortunately, the market doesn’t cater much for prints. And surprisingly, available prints in the market are either neutral colours, or blue!!! Yes blue!!! (So gender biased, sigh.)

I also think that my requirements for a diaper bag are pretty simple:

• In pink and/or pink prints
• Lightweight (so no heavy leather bags for me), preferably a stylish backpack.
• Suitable to be hung off my existing stroller. 
• Bonus if it comes with insulated compartments.

Anyway, I’m going to share my research to prove my point, but I’ll start with what I finally ended up with:

Jujube BFF

Jujube probably carries the most extensive number of diaper bag prints in the market. And the only few I found online with pink prints. Jujube has multiple models so you can choose for a satchel, backpack, over shoulder, etc. But I love the fact that the BFF is convertible to both satchel or backpack. Very convenient! Comes with insulated pockets too. Love the matching changing mat, the small front pocket for my phone/camera and even a pocket for my sunglasses! My only qualm with it is it's quite bulky... I seem to think that I can pack light. But anyway here’s my choice - the Jujube BFF in Blooming Romance:

Storksak
Very popular amongst Hollywood stars, probably because it doesn’t look anything at all like a diaper bag. With the luxurious leather option, it can pass off as a handbag or even a laptop bag. The Poppy Convertible Backpack is in a quilted finish and also comes with a matching food and bottle bag. Some other options include an insulated bottle holder and fold out changing mat. No prints sighted.

Petunia Pickle Bottom
The Petunia Boxy backpacks are so awesome! Why? Because it comes with a clever built-in zip-out changing station! Creativity at its best! Convertible to both backpack or cross-body, plus available in sweet prints too. There was an adorable pink print available too but since it was more expensive than the Jujube, I settled with the latter.

JJ Cole
So many options to choose from - satchel, backpack, knapsack, bucket tote, off shoulder cum tote and even backpacks designed for daddies (Papago)! The bucket tote option even comes with a coordinating pacifier pod and single bottle cooler, and the backpack and satchel feature insulated side pockets and coordinating changing pad. Love love love the classy prints but unfortunately only available in neutral colours or BLUE. Le sigh.

Babymel
Mostly shoulder bags/totes. They have some pretty classy prints but again, in neutral colors. No pink prints backpack sighted. One interesting feature in their backpacks is the Easy Wipes side pocket with a dispenser slot. Means you can directly pull your wipes from the pocket. So novel!

Skip Hop
Multiple models available. Their prints are mostly in neutral colors i.e grey, navy blue, cream. Only one backpack model came with insulated side pockets. There were ~3 pink bags in solid colors but nothing in particular attracted me.

Oh here’s a bonus: Young Versace
Simplest of the lost but obviously the most expensive. You’re paying for the brand, not the practicality! Lovely sweet pink Baroque watercolour print and a matching changing mat. *drool*

So that’s my rundown of diaper bags! Hope this listing helps. *smiles*

School Holidays Started Early - To Legoland We Go!

Hello peeps!

If you've been following my Instagram, I apologize for spamming your newsfeed with my photos in Legoland. *chuckles* #sorrynotsorry

We had a fabulous time in Legoland. This time was an exceptionally extended trip, because the Dutch Oil Company organized a family day at the same location, hence we merged our holiday with the team building event... which equaled to three days of back to back Legoland entries. Phewww. By the third day, Hubby and I were just praying for time to quickly pass so that we could go home. The kids? They wailed (and Ian even cried) when we dragged them to the car to go home. (Where do they get their energy???)

Posing with Ninjago Kai.

Getting our portraits painted.

Love this shot of Aiden!

Taking a short nap in the theme park.

We also took the opportunity to celebrate Ian's birthday there. Every single time we remembered, we would say, "Happy Birthday Ian!" And he would answer sweetly, "Thank you..." We also told every Legoland staff we encountered, that we were celebrating his birthday. And of course, Ian enjoyed all the attention that was lavished upon him. So much so that now he says, "Babang's birthday is fireman, my birthday is Legoland!"

The birthday boy.

It was definitely a memorable trip for me too. Why? Well I am a huge scaredy cat hence I hate roller coasters and such, and despite Hubby's pleas for us to go on it together, I would firmly stand my ground, refusing to be swayed. But as part of the team building event, I was 'forced' to go on three thrill rides - two roller coasters and one splash plunge. Mengenangkan that each activity meant team points, I swallowed my fear and forced myself to go on all of it. It turned out not to be so bad. In fact, the junior dragon roller coaster and the splash plunge were quite fun! (The adult dragon roller coaster was a completely different story, though.)

Ian chauffeuring me around in a boat.

Help! Ian's being eaten alive!

And because I had managed to conquer my fear, I gleefully invited Hubby to go on the rides with me the very next day. He was NOT happy! "Oh, kawan you ajak you naik, I ajak you tak pernah nak naik!!!" #boohoohoo

Anyway, Aiden was inspired by my new found bravery, and he bravely went on the junior roller coaster with me. He loved it!!! "It's not too bad, Mummy! It was actually fun!" (We forced him on the splash plunge too but he did not enjoy it AT ALL; in fact he bawled the whole way!) The next day, we went on the roller coaster yet again, this time with Ian in tow. Surprisingly, Ian enjoyed it too! Here's a photo of all of us on the roller coaster:

Siap angkat tangan, ok!

We also discovered minifigure trading (similar to pin trading in Disneyland). Since we didn't bring our own minifigure from home, I bought a cheap one from the Legoland shop, and then encouraged the kids to walk up to a Legoland staff to trade. (The staff's minifigure will be on his/her name tag.) The kids had a blast approaching the very friendly staff to either check out his/her minifigure, or request for trade!

Ian traded his minifigure for a Chima, while Aiden managed to trade for one which came all the way from Australia.

Since we bought our tickets during the Matta Fair promotion, it came with tickets to the water park and also one night's stay at Legoland Hotel. The kids had a grand time at the Legoland Hotel; they built swords with the unlimited supply of Lego in the hotel lobby play area, they danced with Lego characters during the character parade, and witnessed a magic show. Aiden even won himself a Star Wars Lego set just from participating in the magic show! The last time we visited Legoland Hotel, we were in the Pirate room, hence this time around we chose the Adventure room. I won't spam this blogpost with the many photos of our room, but here's a photo of the kids' loot from their treasure hunt!

Siap baring to find answers to the treasure hunt. The kids received a Duplo set (photo frame), a Ninjago set (phone movie set) and a Ninjago key chain. The rest were from their shopping spree at the Lego shop!

Other than the theme park, we also went to the water park. This time around, we khatam every single slide in the park! Every single one of them! So proud of myself. Must be the after effects of the new found bravery post roller coaster. *giggles*

Water park!

There is now a new ship building attraction right opposite the adult slides. Hence that was where Ian spent most of his time while we went on the slides that he wasn't tall enough for.

Hope you enjoyed your birthday getaway, baby!

Back home, posing with their goodies. #mummydaddykopak

Since Ian really enjoyed his birthday getaway, Aiden is now requesting for the same for his birthday next year. I told him to choose between a birthday party or Legoland. He chose the latter! Hmm... Maybe I can retire from organizing parties and making dessert tables for good! #wishfulthinking

I don't think these boys will ever let me retire from party planning!

Real Kids Plus vs Bahtera Ilmu Fee Structure 2018

And so it's that time of the year again, when parents scramble to look for the best kindergartens for their children. I've been getting so many daily hits on my prior blogpost - Real Kids Plus vs Bahtera Ilmu Fee Structure 2015, that it drove me to write this blogpost! (You can see on my sidebar, how that blogpost is steadily climbing upwards on my most popular posts.)

In this blogpost, I share the same considerations that I made for Ian (who's just turning 4 at the end of this month, but going into a 5 year old class next year!) and compare the top two kindergartens in my list for the Bukit Jelutong area.

The comparison chart below replicates the fees I depicted in my prior post (here) for 2014 and 2015, but now updated to include 2018, so that you get a feel on the fees increase per year. 

Note that the figures below add up to the ANNUAL total (hence the total you need to pay for the whole YEAR.) If you are looking for how much you will need to pay to book a spot for your child in the respective school (bulk payment in December), check the snapshots of the school fees below.

Notes:

• Real Kids Plus require a refundable security deposit of RM1000. This is not included in the list above as it is refundable upon when the child leaves the school with sufficient notification.
• Uniform and sportswear are assumed the same for both kindergarten; 2 pairs of uniform and 1 pair of sportswear.
• Bahtera Ilmu charges additional (fee not stated hence not in above) for field trips. However, this is already included in the Real Kids Plus fees.
• Miscellaneous fees such as graduation and class photographs, ceremony fees etc. are not included in the above.
• Disclaimer: Information is accurate at time of writing. But do let me know if my numbers are incorrect. (Engineers make silly math mistakes too, you know!)

It is quite obvious from the above that the annual total for Real Kids Plus is always more than Bahtera Ilmu. However, if you were to divide that into 12 months for a per month average, in 2018 the difference has dropped to ~RM196 (versus ~RM 230 in 2015).

Anyway, if you are sending your child to kindergarten for the first time, please do not get a shock at these numbers. I know that feeling... how can kindergarten be as expensive as a semester in a local university??? *weeps together with you* Don't worry, government primary schools are cheap. Unless you are planning to send your child to a private/international school... *weeps with you again*

Lastly, here are the hard copies of the Real Kids Plus and Bahtera Ilmu 2018 fee structure for your reference.

Real Kids Plus 2018 fee structure - half day.

Real Kids Plus 2018 fee structure - full day.

Bahtera Ilmu 2018 fee structure - half day.

No surprises for guessing where Ian is going. He's going to his big brother's alma mater, of course!

Tips for Surviving Kidzania!

So the boys received free admission into Kidzania as part of the NEHA event covered here. It was Aiden's third time, but Ian's first. And I am so glad that we procrastinated Ian's trip to Kidzania because he is now at the age where he understands the concept of going to work to get a job. Of course, he enjoyed the experience mostly with the help of Aiden. Aiden really took care of his brother - making sure that they were always seated together, explaining things that they were going to do, and of course, keeping each other company during the longggg queues. The medium of communication in Kidzania is English, hence the boys understood every word being explained by the Zupervisors. It was definitely an enjoyable outing for the boys.

Anyway, I won't even bother explaining the concept of Kidzania. But I think it is worth noting that they have now implemented a 'sticker' booking system in which kids are allowed to book an activity that they want to do in advance. You can only book ahead for six 'popular' activities namely the fire fighter, policeman, and making chicken burgers at McDonalds (ground floor) and also Air Asia pilot, making Vitagen at the Marigold factory and manufacturing vitamins at Pharmaniaga (upper floor).

I digress. Back to the subject, tips for those who are looking into a trip to Kidzania for the upcoming school holidays:

Weekdays/Weekends
I think this doesn't really make a difference if you're going during the school holidays. Outside of holidays, weekends are packed but weekdays may be just as busy with school trips. However, you get more hours by going on Saturday or public holidays as they close at 7pm (instead of 5pm). Choose wisely!

Registering themselves at the bank. Super funny - the lady gave Ian a piece of paper and pen to write his name, and of course Ian didn't know how. Tapi muka confident scribble scribble bagai sampai the lady pun tunggu dengan penuh sabar. Nasib baik Babang was beside him to save the day *chuckles*

Plan Jobs Ahead
You will really need to plan your day and jobs that you want to do. Get your kids to identify the map ahead of your trip so they can choose the jobs that they really want to do. There are only 5 booking sessions (hiring time) on Saturdays,public/school holidays (4 on other days) for the six popular activities, so really - there is no way that they'll get to do all six in one day. Arrive as early as you can. Kidzania opens at 10am so plan to be at the ticketing counter 30mins before so you can get through the door at 950am - just in time for the 10am hiring time. Also, it is human nature to start from the bottom, so why not start from the upper floor first to beat the crowd?

First job of the day, delivering parcels. Ian followed his big brother everywhere!

They then went to work with the electrical company. Super important job - carrying the monkey ladder around town!

Attempting to fix a broken electrical circuit in front of McDonalds.

Plan Hiring Time Ahead
The hiring times are 9.50am, 11.40am, 1.30pm, 3.20pm (and 5.10pm for Sat,public/school holidays). Booking times are stated on stickers. Only kids are allowed to queue for stickers (no adults are allowed on behalf!!!) and kids are only allowed to have a maximum of two stickers per booking session (if you're lucky enough to score 2 that is!) *chuckles* Also, I'm half minded about advising you to arrive 15 minutes earlier than the hiring times. Why? Well we arrived early for the fire fighter and pilot activity, and in both cases we were assigned the very first slot. Unfortunately with the very first slot it meant that you had to remain in line and wait for the last slot of the prior hiring time to finish, and also sometimes staff take a short break in between hiring times. (Whereas other kids who got later slots were already off doing another job while we were waiting.) However, please do arrive early for the McDonalds hiring time. They actually ran out of numbers five minutes before hiring time even started! And of course, arrive early if you're going during school holidays - period!

Ian insisted on working as a pump attendant at BHP (while Aiden wanted to work as a toll booth operator for Plus Highway). Ian's partner was an equally 'fun' size, so they had extra supervision throughout their job.

Okay Ian, next time Mummy won't bother going down from the car to fill in my fuel. It's quite obvious that you can do that now! *giggles*

Aiden had to wait over 20 minutes, to do his dream job. He loved it!

Since Aiden was still busy waiting in line, Ian decided to work at MBPJ, checking business licenses around town. Thankfully he was accompanied by a lovely little girl who understood what to do! Ian tukang pegang kertas jer!

Managing Kidzos
If you have two (or more!) kids like us, they won't appreciate their Kidzos being mixed together. We brought two named pouches for Aiden and Ian, and in there we stuffed their hard earned Kidzos, ATM card and random stuff they made or collected along the way. If they can manage their own things, try getting a lanyard that is spacious enough for them to stuff their Kidzos and comfortable around the neck.

Firefighters for the day! 

Ian's fire helmet was too big for him and kept falling off. But he just picked it up and plonked it back on his head while continuing to 'fight fire'. So confident!

My handsome firefighter boys.

Walking back into the station after a job well done.

Using Kidzos
Every child will be given 50 Kidzos at the start of their journey. If you opt to join their B.KidZanian program (RM38 per child - one off fee), your child will earn/save an additional 2 Kidzos at every job they do, and a discount of 5 Kidzos at the Kidzania Department Store. We didn't bother doing this.

If you are not planning to come back, encourage your kids to also spend their money at activities which you will need to 'pay' for (reflected as 'negative (-) Kidzos' on the board) and stay away from the Kidzania Department Store at the end. (We learnt the hard way that you can't use real cash to buy top-up Kidzos for Ian's toy of choice!) If you are planning another visit again, you can always opt to pool your Kidzos for a better shopping experience. You can deposit your Kidzos into the bank or bring the paper Kidzos home. Kidzos do not have any expiry date. However, keep in mind that items at the Kidzania Department Store are expensive. A small pack of erasers was 100 Kidzos, a wind up racing snail was 150 Kidzos, a hand grabber was 300 Kidzos and the animal shaped monster truck that Ian wanted was 400 Kidzos! As a guide, Aiden and Ian only managed to do 10 jobs and accumulate ~130 Kidzos each at the end of the day!

Posing for photos as dentists. The last time we were here, Aiden bawled and didn't complete this job. Alhamdulillah, no problems this time around.

Even Ian had a hand at attending to the 'patient'.

Doctor Aiden confidently doing a filling on his 'patient'.

Keeping Your Tummies Full
No outside food are allowed (except for milk powder for babies). They will check your bags. Please please please, get your kids a hearty breakfast in the morning! They will forget about food the minute they step foot into Kidzania. Try to get a lunch time slot for the McDonalds 'make a burger' job - this can be their lunch time treat. Food and snacks are quite pricey, and options are limited. As a guide, a plate of chicken rice is ~RM17, pasta carbonara is ~RM13.

We managed to take a short break at the Parents' Lounge while the kids were in here. Since we couldn't take photos while they were in the cockpit, we had to purchase their handsome pilot photos from Kidzania.

Parents' Survival
Since we couldn't trust Aiden and Ian to roam around unaccompanied, we pretty much followed them everywhere. Hubby and I took turns having lunch, and we only managed to camp in the Parents' Lounge (right beside the AirAsia air simulation terminal) while the kids were safely doing their Pilot job. Do note that no kids are allowed inside the Parents' Lounge. Also, bring an oversized bag with you so you can stuff any leftover food from lunch (I carried half a muffin everywhere *giggles*) and water. Another tip, leave the stroller at home! You will also end up ooh-ing and aah-ing at your adorable kids in their respective jobs, so remember to charge your cameras (mine went dead halfway) and clear the storage in your phones for the hundreds of photos/videos you will eventually be taking.

The very impressive Gleneagles hospital.

Surgeons of the day. Can you see how Aiden is the furthest away from the 'patient'? *chuckles* According to him, the patient's heart was still pumping while they were doing 'surgery'. So realistic!

Waving hi to us.

See how Aiden conveniently pushed his lil' brother to the front? *facepalm*

Comfortable Shoes, Please!!!
My first time at Kidzania, I wore heels. Bad mistake, big time. The upper floor flooring was really uneven so I had to navigate carefully. Also, Hubby and I ended up standing most of the time, escorting Aiden for each job he did. I looked in envy at parents sitting in the Parents' Lounge, having kids old enough to explore Kidzania on their own. So please, adults and kids - stick to sneakers or flats.

So the consensus among the boys was that the fireman and pilot jobs were their top favourites. Ian also enjoyed putting gas (he said gas, not fuel!) in the car, while Aiden loved being a toll booth operator and a postal delivery man. *giggles* Anyway, we're planning another trip soon and hopefully we'll manage to cover the rest of the jobs that we didn't manage to do this time around. Wish us luck with the holiday crowd!!!