Safari Madrid

Safari Madrid was opened since June 1973. I like the place because it is set as if the animals were in their natural habitat and are in semi freedom surroundings . The best part is as a visitor, we do not need to leave the car. 

There are Rhinoceros, Elephants, Giraffe, Hippos, Black Bears, Zebras, Baboons, Lions, Tigers, Camels and many more.

It was a good up close experience for my family. Both kids enjoyed a lot especially the camels came to our car windows.

Spending time with Snow in April

I could still see the snow on the mountain from my window. Therefore, we decided to spend one of our Saturdays with the snow.

Puerto Navacerrada Ski Resort is the closest to Madrid (60 km) and the maximum height is 2,200m. We never thought it would be still so cold as its already in April. Obviously, we are not prepared to the temperature again. 

When we reached there, we were surprised to see many are fully geared to ski and also others like us, just want to spend quality family time with the snow before its gone. The scenery was awesome! At the same time, we could hear our teeth chattering while taking the chair cable up to the mountain.

Up on the mountain

Planned to walk up but it was too cold and windy

We ended up playing snow at the bottom of the mountain with
many other kids.

Seeing others having fun but my child cannot enjoy was a terrible feeling.
So I had to be thick skinned and ask others to lend me their toy so that
my boys can have fun too. 

We drove further and found another family friendly place to play snow again.

On the way back to madrid, we saw this reservoir.
Believe it was the same one that we saw from the top of the mountain 

We will sure be back next year with more clothing….and maybe picnic in the snow.

Mickey Mouse bread

One morning, after sending Eduardo's to school, Enrique and I went for our breakfast at one of the Pastries shop along my place. The shop assistant saw him and know that he was sick and moody, gave him a Mickey Mouse shape bread to cheer him up! It really works.

From that day on, he loves it. I went there almost twice/ thrice a week to buy for him in the morning as his breakfast and this is his third week there. 

Jurassic experience at Faunia Madrid

Enrique begin his interest in Dinosaurs when he first watched the Dinosaur Train on TV when he was about 2 years old.

In August, we headed to Faunia Madrid to check out 18 different species of dinosaurs. Enrique was excited when we told him we are bringing him to see T. Rex, his favourite dino and he requested to wear his Dino T-shirt bought by his uncle.

Madrid is full of pianos

Organised by The International Music Competition Maria Canals and Jesús Serra Foundation to create awareness of music.  Seven pianos are placed along the street of Serrano from 11am to 8.00pm from 2 October 2013.

It's for anyone, musicians, professionals, amateurs, fans and even bands, to play and share it with many passerby.

Should I withdraw my 3 year old son from school?

We sent Enrique to school in March, throughout these 6 months, on and off he get sicks and sometimes, really bad. Most of the time are cough with thick green mucus and fever. Usually after 3-5 days, he is well to go back to school again.

The weather in Madrid is getting worst now till Feb/Mar and many children and people will get sick again. Our paediatrician (PD) has been telling us to terminate him from school as the environment is bad for children under 3 years old. She shared that the virus / bacteria he will gets from the school is more serious than if he had stayed at home. Bringing him to the park or street in the morning and play with those children at the playground is fine as those children are also not going to school means that they are more healthy than those who went to the school. When children reach 4 years old, their immune system is stronger and even if they do get sick, it is usually easier to treat and recover.

Last week, Enrique started with diarrhoea followed by fever and cough with thick green mucus. He has been going to the toilet more than 12 times a day and had fever for the past 7 days. Till now he is still not not improving. We were very worried as he is feeling agitated, can't sleep well, cough often and cry a lot. It was really taxing for us as parents and furthermore, I was sick as well. PD diagnosed that he has a virus infection and all these are the effect of the virus which there is no medicine to treat. Antibiotic is only to treat when there is a bacterial infection. Therefore, his body has to fight the virus himself.

Being a mother, I really cannot stand the sight of him going thru the sickness as it is too hard for him to handle at this age. During the past 7 days, he had seen the PD for 4 times as I was really worried about his condition.

At this point, I am in a dilemma as I am considering to withdraw him from school so that he will not get so sick again. On the other hand,  I would like him to go to school to socialise, play, learn and be independent. Furthermore, he enjoys going to school.

In short, I think Madrid is not at good place for young children to live in. For myself, I get sick more often than I was in Singapore. I spoke to other parents and they also said that it is the weather and their children gets sick easily as well.

Please share with me your experience when your young child was sent to school and did you also have the same problem? Have you thought of withdrawing your child from the school or what's your decision.

Bedtime routine

I believe every family will have your own bedtime routine. For my family, the routine is, me making milk for Enrique while he choose his book and his daddy with read to him before he falls asleep.

Enrique has been sick for the past 7 days from diarrhoea, cough with phlegm and fever. He doesn't sleep well every night and of course, his daddy continue to read a book to him. But today, I was the one who read to him before he fell asleep. While he was sleeping, he cough and cry a lot. He makes noise mumbling this and that but we do not know what he wants. At 2.00am, he cried again and said he wants daddy and daddy and daddy but we cannot figured out what he wants from his daddy.

I asked Eric if he had promised something to Enrique, he said nothing. And then Enrique was saying, I want something, pointing to the direction of the books that his daddy usually left after reading to him.
So I asked, do you want book? Yes,….daddy…daddy. And I asked, you want daddy to read to you? YES!!! Both of us giggled as it was just so funny. He remembers the routine is not complete without his daddy reading to him. They read on the bed and he ask for milk and he fell asleep again.

Goodnight to all.