Love is In The Air

Today is a landmark day,

For the first time, I will accompany Aiko in a school trip. So it means about full 4 hours together, outside, far away from the comfort of our home, only me and her together. HOLD THAT THOUGHT ... of course I have taken Aiko alone before. But our endeavor together usually close at home, using my car. Buying something for Venny at the supermarket, buying food, buying fishes ... hmmm alot of buying is involved.

Today it's different, we're visiting a juice factory in Sentul, so that means venturing together to the unknowns, going by bus (how will she behave), going so far away (how will she behave), going without her nanny (how will she behave)... In short I have to change her, feed her, accompany her, entertain her, protect her without supervision... Am I able to do this ? .

So the D day cometh... Armed with a bag full of biscuits, milk, spare diapers and clothes, candy, water bottle, lunch, candies, jelly and others (I lose track) we went to the unknown in our small car (it's a KIA Visto). Well a day before Aiko threw up in the other car so even at the beginning of our adventure I already feel that butterfly in my stomach ... Well too late to turn back wasn't it ? Luckily (and happily) I could report that no major incident happened.

We arrived there at 8:45, and Aiko had to perform her class mandatory greeting time. So I went about in the lobby, and my jaw dropped.... ALL LADIES !!!! Ah there's one guy there hmmm old ... definitely grandpa ... well there's another over there ... hmmm too young ... maybe an uncle... well Im about the only daddy there. Aiyoh ... what to do, well it's hard to mingle with moms ... I had no clue on the topics ... So I cowered in the corner, trying to read a newspaper.

After half an hour our time had come... we boarded the bus. Amazingly the bus ride to the factory went on uneventful. Of course Aiko was still cute and cuddly (especially to boys). She kept bugging Jova in front and Matthew in the back (hmmm note to self, need to teach her to be classy so she'll attract the right kind of boys :D). But all in all it was fine ..... Jova's mom and Matthews's were chatting about their kids (both have two sons), one toddler was running amok in the aisle. Squealing laughing sound from the back ... hmm Michael cried ... well as I said, it was fine ... (fine = it was chaos but not unexpected)

We arrive in the factory at about 10.. and the heat was scorching. Luckily, Aiko was armed with a hat... We were gathered in a hall and lookie there, CLOWNS. Aiko was especially drawn to the sponge bob clowns. She kept tugging me to have a handshake with spongebob (not sure about the hygiene of that clownsuit though). But she wouldn't take no as an answer, so as you can see in the pictures, Aiko was very much involved with spongebob.

The factory tour itself was poorly aranged, and Aiko started to get cranky. But afterwards it was games time, and Aiko always liked games. The ball race ... starring Aiko, Owen, Jesslyn, Michael, Matthew, Jova well I don't remember them all. But all is under 2 1/2 years, so predictably it was chaos. Anyway everyone had a blast, and we parents were having fun too. Another highlight of the day is balloons !!! Popping balloons to be exact, somebody need to shoot the guy who had the idea of balloons in a hot day. Popping balloons were so numerous that I thought I may get heart attack. But in time it becomes soooo numerous that I stopped being surprised.

Well the next test was lunch time. Hmmm what should I do, ok, open the bag, take out lunch box, close bag, open lunch box, look for spoon, open bag, get spoon, close bag, look for water bottle, open bag, get water bottle, close bag ... you get the picture lah. During lunch time Aiko's three teachers were sitting next to us, hmm maybe because they expect me to screw up ?, but I passed with flying colours ... well not really flying colours may be acceptably ... (or was that barely) ... as I clumsily tried to make Aiko eat rice with chicken nugget and sausage.

Time to go home, and the trip home was uneventful ... again ... But then Aiko fell asleep on my lap and as I watched her face and as I look around.... it was the same. Love is in the air ... although I was different with all of them (well I am a daddy, they are mommies !), still the feeling was the same. Most of the kids were asleep, almost all of the parents were watching them with a smile (except for one mommies accross the aisle, she fell asleep too)... at the back there were squealing sound as one mother tickled her son... and so on. Yup that was it, definitely love is in the air ...

Hmmm going somewhere alone with Aiko ... Lets do that soon