Summer Break Recap:Botanical Gardens

We decided to roam around Singapore during our month long summer break, instead of leaving the island. We thought it would be a great way to really enjoy our surroundings and feel like we are making a home here. The boys and I stopped at the Botanical Gardens which really is a jewel among the city here. It's quickly on its way to being the 'central park' of Singapore's concrete jungle. Although, it really is a lot more 'jungly' here than anywhere else we have been. We took our bikes and scooters to explore the tropical outdoors. Here is a little turtle roaming the pathways. We have seen a lot of turtles since then. They are becoming old hat now!

 This little walkway was crawling with these centipede type bugs. Kai found one and quickly we started noticing them all along here. Of course since its a garden, you have to be respectful of your surroundings, even if its crawling with bugs. That means NO stomping! There were so many of these little guys, we had a hard time not clipping one or two with a bike wheel. I did feel bad and tried to help the kids understand that, while they are creepy crawlies, it is NOT cool to squish. That's hard convincing for a bunch of boys.

Ronin had a wonderful time and decided to cool off while skateboarding. Unfortunately he hit the biggest hill and bit the dust. He had road burn on every part of his body. Well, except the one part that was actually covered with clothing. And we didn't even have a helmet on. I think he may have scratched up an eyebrow here. Good thing he was ok, and I am getting better at turning my head over dangerous things, that just come with the boy territory. I am surprised I haven't had a heart attack by now with all their skateboarding antics.

Here are the boys, minus one. The poor baby gets left at home most of the time. Its sad because we miss him terribly and we know he would be so miserable out with us in the heat instead of in his bed with the AC on. Analyn keeps him cosy and happy. He is fed on demand and loves every minute. So we try not to feel too bad. We are excited for him to get old enough to really come and play with us without too much hassle. He can tell when the boys are around and playing and he loves being a part of it. But we are grateful to have Analyn to help us out so we can see the sights too.

 A real LIVE banana tree. Growing in the middle of the park. I love it.

They also have a kids splash park in the Garden. Which is a good thing, since its deathly hot outside. We couldn't call it a real Gardens visit without going. And of course the kids love it. They thought it was so fun to play in their actual clothes. Im not sure why I didn't bring suits for them. Maybe I did, but they didn't bother getting dressed. Who knows anymore.

Here are the little ducklings out for a swim, in the sweltering heat. There was a lot of fun wild life running around and so many things to explore. We didn't even see half of the Gardens. We enjoyed the children's section and look forward to seeing more. 

It really is a lovely place with sculptures, flowers, critters and even the outdoor symphony hall. I can see us spending a lot of free time here. It makes us happy to be living in Singapore!