Today I have time off to spend with the family. Alan got a bungalow at the NS Resort and Country Club for Ethan's birthday. It's nice and big but a bit rundown. There was a notice to say the chalets are going to be renovated soon -- not soon enough for us, evidently.

Spent the morning prepping food like lamb chops and a potato salad; then left for Changi after a packed lunch. Shortly after we arrived it began to rain! So instead of the pool we headed for the arcade and karaoke lounge. Luckily the rain stopped around 5.30 and the kids got a swim in while the helpers and I eventually got the barbecue fire going.

We had a splendid bbq of lamb chops, spare ribs, chicken wings, sausages and a really yummy slab of ribeye. Ate till our eyeballs popped and then we had the ice cream cake. Kids played badminton indoors. After the cleanup, we sent the remaining food home with the helpers, bathed, quarrelled about where to sleep and went to bed. It was not the most comfortable night. Outside our window were screaming teenagers at some game. They didn't go on for too long, fortunately, but Alan, who was sleeping in the living room with Ethan in our tent(!) had to get up every now and then to turn on the a/c when it tripped. This went on all through the night. Happily the birthday boy slept blissfully through all of it.