Godson #2 is One

My godson #2 turned ONE. The parents threw a party for him. They put in so much effort into it. Bouncy castle for the kiddos, and loads of food and drinks for the adults. There was a grill station that churned out loads of meats (chicken, pork, beef of a rib-eye and a tomahawk), veggies and lobsters. They also had to consider food to feed the kids with as well. L was pleased that her back-up plan of McNuggets didn't have to be used. 

A prata station fed many adults and the kids! Springleaf Prata does this mobile tawa station really well. Freshly made and piping hot prata is such a treat! It was absolutely divine. I had an onion prata and it was soooo good. Apparently chocolate prata was a hit today. The station ran out of dough within two hours, and had to officially close. LOLOLOL

Godson #2 was in a rather swell mood. He was happy to simply hang out, and have his dinner among the festivities and chatter. Godson #1 was spotted but plastered himself in the bouncy castle and didn't really want to come out. Ahahahah. He only came out to get hydrated, have a tiny bite of prata, and to give Choya head rubs. The other humans didn't matter, except for his playmates. Okaaaaay, at least he would be knocked out in the evening and bedtime wouldn't be a fight. 

Choya was just pleased to be lounging around. She walked around for a bit, checking out the scene and sniffing at things. She found spots to chill out at. She liked being included. I do like having this Smol Girl come along, especially when her temperament is this chill at parties. 

Ryo is 7!

A little boy turned seven. We went over to Ryo's home to say hello and to wish Ryo the very happiest birthday! I've watched this little boy grow and develop a big personality.

There was cake to be had. The floofs had a meat cake from Bark n Bake. It was a pure meat cake without odd ingredients. That was a relief since I wouldn't have to worry about their tummies. Choya had some portions frozen so that she could have it over the week. Or maybe next week.

Of course there was some snarling and petty squabbling in a short span of 15 minutes upon arrival. But that was fairly normal. We know their moods by now. Ryo was so happy that he did the rabbit hops to pounce on Choya. To her credit, tonight, she ignored his antics. In a likely act of retaliation, she chewed up Ryo's fav spiky ball bald and proper. 

The humans had two slices of cake too — an easy strawberry shortcake and a cantaloupe. Of course the floofs asked for the whipped cream. They got some. Heheheh. Nobody wanted to do alcohol much. There was no pressure to drink, and we could all wake up at 5am to do our respective things. Heheheh. We each had a hot cup of tea as a digestif. That was lovely!

Breakfast for Floofs and The Husband

I was a tad upset that the resort made a decision not to offer breakfast delivery for Choya to the room anymore. I only had two choices — she would either eat it at breakfast with us (out of the question), or I get it boxed to-go for the room. Of course I'd get it boxed. 

When I turned up for the breakfast on the first morning, I understood why. I went at 9.15am. The crowds were so bad that it didn't make it pleasant to be around the breakfast room after 8.50am. They were terribly under-staffed and over-stretched. The breakfast at the hotel sucked. It has never been great, but this round was particularly vile. 

The wifi went out on the first day for 12 hours. The engineers who came at 9pm to try to fix it, couldn't. I bit my tongue to tell them, 'of course not lah'. They're IT engineers or technicians! They need permissions to reset routers and reconfigure things. This isn't a matter of switching routers off and on, or align the television's date and time. The weak router overloaded and crashed when we tried to cast from our netflix app onto to the smart television. IT had to do some updating of software patches and shifting our suite's band to 5GHz. However, we were very appreciative that they bothered to work till 11pm before telling us that they couldn't do it, and would file an incident report for the IT team to follow up the next morning. 

Also, the coffee machine at the breakfast room broke down each time it saw me. It simply couldn't extract the beans as required, or it went bonkers with its sensors. It doesn't produce good coffee to begin with. The coffee beans were middling anyway. I didn't bother with the in-room Nespresso machine or its super limited choice of capsules. After two days of shit coffee in the morning, I gave up and went elsewhere for a proper coffee. I didn't need food. I'm never a breakfast person. Eating this early sends me into IBS hell. But I need caffeine. 

After two days of nonsense, I bailed out of even sitting down for breakfast/brunch at the resort. NO. Even if it comes complimentary with the suite, the experience is terrible. They don't offer anything exclusive for the villas or the suites. Everyone is expected to turn up at the breakfast room and be treated equally to lacklustre food and exhausted staff. It's chaotic. I couldn't even call it an organized chaos. The staff was at breaking point.

I simply sent the husband down to collect the floofs' box. He could grab a bite too, since he needs brekkies and protein. Nobody could screw up eggs that badly. He went between 8am to 8.20am, and had a rather pleasant time. It wasn't that packed at that window. He got his four egg whites and two eggs (with yolk). Heheheheh. He would also try out whatever dishes that didn't look like crap.  

I doubt I'm staying at the hotel again, even if it's the only one that offers a full-sized fridge and freezer in its suite. It feels like they're trying to save costs and maximize room occupancy while on minimum staffing. They don't seem to bother to go the extra mile anymore. While the owners of the property and the general manager remain the same, something has shifted in the policies. They didn't even bother to send me an after-stay note or invitation to send in my feedback. Tsk tsk. 

The husband brought back the boxed food that looked fine since it was catered by Wholesome Paws. The quality is still there, thankfully. However, the resort's kitchen consistently forgot to give us the miso broth along with the kiddos' Japanese breakfast option. I wasn't bothered since I had bone broth for the kiddos. BUT, it's just a matter of attention to details. Tsk tsk. They did remember my request to alternate the kiddos' menu daily.

Most staycations with/for floofs work if you're staying a night or two, or yours take dry food with cooked toppers. Mine's on raw and sous vide. I need proper storage. The usual hotel rooms don't cut it unless they offer a real fridge and not a mini bar that can't keep cooked food chilled. 

This suite offers a full fridge and freezer — I maximized it by bringing my whole kitchen and plenty of food for the floofs. I like to be neat at the prep and wash area, so I brought dishwashing liquid, brushes, disinfectant spray, food storage boxes, well... everything. 

My floofs ate very well on this staycation. Choya is now demanding to eat four times a day. The total volume of food remains within range. I simply divvy up into four feeds. My schedule is literally worked around hers. This Ryo has also learnt from Choya; he wonders what's so fun in her bowl. He does check it out when she's done but I didn't offer him food, so he has learnt to ask me for food. When he's over at ours, he has taken to eating thrice a day; even on Sentosa with us too. This week, I gave Ryo an extra 60g per day, and for Choya, an additional 35g would suffice. They can't be over-eating too. With the extra exercise and fun smells on Sentosa, they're both mentally and physically stimulated, and have a voracious appetite. 

Hit Palawan Beach

We try not to do a staycation over the weekend. One, it's friggin crowded everywhere. And the hotel room rates would be mad. So we do the whole week instead, and the crowds are usually manageable. Ryo came along with us to this Sentosa staycation. I don't think he understands what a staycation is since he has never gone on one. But he feels safe with us, and is happy with us in any room. So that works fine in having him settled.  

Took them out first thing to the beach. Smol Girl smelt the sea and sand. And asked to run. So I dropped her leash, and she ran and ran. And ran some more. She was soooo thrilled. At this age, she doesn't run that far away from us anymore. We can be out of sight for a while, but she would round back. Whewwwww. 

Choya hasn't been to the beach for a while. She probably missed the sand loads. She isn't interested in the water though. 'No swimming, Momma.' She has made it quite clear. She walks along the water's edge, and when the waves roll in, she runs away from it. She doesn't mind her paws get wet a little. She doesn't want to go in. If I pick her up to put her in the water, she can swim, but she will be miffed and she'll make straight for the shore. Heh.

Ryo, on the other hand, was a tad scared. He's still frightened and unsure of the outdoors and everything. He likes the sniffing and the smells, but he doesn't like being outside much. He would swim if forced to, but I don't think he wants to do it weekly. Today, he didn't want to swim at all. He didn't even want to run that much. He only trotted around. Whatever. He was willing to wait for Choya and sit with us for a bit. He tried to bolt, but with no success. 

I watched the Smol Girl sprint all around the sand. Her paws flew across the clean-enough sand. She was ridiculously happpppyyyyy. I was happy too, to see this soon-to-be nine-year-old still nimble, fast and active. Once she was done running this morning, she laid down and snoozed. She had a choice to snooze in the sun or move to the shade. I let her be. It was a hot day, but the breeze stirred continuously, and it felt wonderful to be out and about. Of course I had a giant sun hat. Ha! 

Fried Stuff & A Steak

An impromptu late dinner meant that we simply swung out to the convenient Wildfire for some beautifully grilled medium-rare hanger steak, fish and chips, and fried chicken (two pieces in a portion; thigh + drumstick). We had to have the coleslaw too. NOMS. The restaurant takes the last orders at 9pm, and closes by 10pm. That totally works for us. We weren't staying later than that. 

Often, our dinner timings would complement Choya's final bedtime pee before she heads home. She absolutely hates being woken up after supper for one last night pee. She prefers to pee, eat and sleep. She said no issues with her bladder. Okaaaaay. I just have to make sure that her supper doesn't contain a crazy amount of broth or water. 

Tonight we had drinks though, wine and a glass of Manhattan. Nothing too crazy. Something to go along with the meal. We all have to go home for the floofs to have their supper and they like to be in bed by 11pm. We just wanted to have an easy chat since we hadn't seen E for weeks. 

Walking Two Dogs

I'm thick in the middle of back-to-back conferences. This would be a heavy and taxing weekend. But it's all work, I'll deal. I don't mind having Ryo over during this period. At this point, he's like my second dog. He's been raised and trained in home etiquette that I approve of. He toilets outdoors and holds his bladder fine (yes we still pee them 4x a day). He doesn't bite cables or stuff or rip my things. He doesn't seem to have separation anxiety or be affected by thunderstorms. 

Managing his fears of the outdoors and such, especially interactions with other dogs aren't the concerns now. I know how to manage him, and he has been doing good. As long as he is fine with Choya at home, and follows her lead, I welcome him. Ryo's pawrents are awesome people — kind and considerate. I never minded having Ryo over for a longer period. He can always go home to his nanny, but he likes company too. 

The husband is on dog duty this weekend mainly because I'm flooded at work. But I can still easily walk them and such. Having a dog is honestly a two-person job. What more two dogs. 

I'll still walk Ryo and Choya together. Although during bedtime pees, they're split because Ryo pees so much faster than Choya. He just wants to pee and go home — 10 seconds, we be done. Choya knows it's the bedtime pee, and still she likes to meander. Zzzzz

Walking 17.5kg Ryo and 7.5kg Choya is quite adorbs. It's a bit of leash technique too. Every owner will eventually figure out how to sort that out with their dogs. They often want to go in different directions. Choya is a terrible walker. It's much easier to pull and coax Ryo to follow her.

This is why I need to work out. I must be able to walk the dogs without being pulled off of my feet, or having my wrist and fingers jerked into a strain or a sprain. Each time, these floofs will remind me that I do need to maintain a level of fitness to keep them clean, happy and exercised. 

At the gym, I always work in sled push and pulls of minimally 80kg. That is a very manageable weight for me. I can do 120kg, but I slack off often and don't overload. I just need to remember how pulling and pushing ~90kg feels like. 100kg is comfortable. 

Walking the two of them that morning was eye-rolling. Morning walks are dicey. Sometimes, they would both poop. Sometimes not. Often, one would poop and the other one wouldn't. Imagine the juggling I have to do to hold on to their leashes, get out poop bags, wipe their butts, and pick their poop without forgetting where they left the turd piles. And maybe watching out for passing floofs because Ryo is NOT friendly.

Ryo would often bolt if he hears strange noises or something scares him. I can't drop his leash. And I need to keep a constant hold on his leash instead of being shocked into dropping it or unable to hang out if he lunges and I'm not ready. It's not just arm strength. It requires almost all my core strength to hold the leashes in order not to move Choya's while she's pooping, and the 17.5-kg clown tugs at his.

Choya getting a poop in. 

Chilling Out at Empress Lawn

I have a fair bit of work to do at Singapore Art Week that's still going on, but I'm glad I can have Choya come along for many events. One of them is the 10th edition of 'Light to Night Singapore'. Over two evenings last week, the Good Pet Fair hosted the festival's first-ever 'Pet Weekend' at Empress Lawn in the Civic District, featuring 'low-noise' performances and 21 vendors selling pet items, as well as food and drinks for humans.

We didn't intend to have dinner here, and actually took a late lunch so that we wouldn't be hungry while checking out the area, and I got my hosting duties done. How long we stayed would be dependent on how comfortable Choya would be. We stayed on quite bit. We hung out near the pods (lit when night fell) on Empress Lawn. These sculptural pods are done by Weixin Quek Chong, titled 'Instar Dreaming (in slow wave)', part of the 'SANTAI' series of installations across five locations by various artists including Amanda Chong and Michael Lin, Firdaus Sani, Syahmin Huda, and the duo Amanda Tan and Irsyad Ishak.

Choya enjoyed the transition of well, light to night — from the 6pm sunset hues to nightfall. She wasn't perturbed by crowds or humans, or other dogs and cats. She happily chilled out on the nice grass. Choya was absolutely comfortable tonight. She just didn't like the drums very much.  

Of course I advocated for her. My RBF ensured that not many people would come near. At our timing, and where we were perched, most pet owners were respectful of our space and kept their dogs on leash and away from Choya. The ones who did approach, asked for permission or got the vibes right. Heh. Choya didn't mind those floofs who approached.  

Besides hanging out and checking out the going-ons and flood-watching, we also watched projections on the iconic Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, we also took a stroll over to National Gallery, then back to The Arts House. The projections on the heritage buildings are always lovely to watch, to see what the artists created come to life in a big way. 

These light projections across the buildings are always a sight to behold. Even Choya was fascinated and she took in all the changing colors and patterns. And we should know the artists behind them. We have, National Gallery Singapore: 'Ansiblomoo' by Fyerool Darma (fiber-optic ecosystems) and 'Memory Gesture' by Ngoc Nau (Vietnam agriculture), The Arts House: 'Larut’s Tears' by Gerimis Art Project and Youngsook Choi, and 'Start Here: From Every Vantage Point', Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall: 'Flower Power' by Noah Tan and Dr. Azariah Tan. 

Courtyard Paw Party :: Second Edition

The Courtyard at Raffles Hotel began to welcome pets on the last Sunday of the odd month. I was really pleased about it. It's not an everyday affair, but it would do. The first edition of the Courtyard Paw Party began in November 2025, and the second was just this Sunday past. Reservations are an absolute must. 

I'm not exactly there for the pop-up vendors; about four to five of them. Shopping isn't exactly my interest and most of things for floofs are very colourful and very frilly, and totally not my aesthetics. I refuse to dress Choya in gaudy garb. I'm there at the Courtyard for the fact that I can have lunch in a comfortable space and my dog is welcomed to sit with. 

Now, pro-tip, please bring portable fans of your own, otherwise it's unbearable to be plastered in perspiration within 15 minutes of arrival. The venue has tried to keep the design in mind and installed fans within, but these fans are too small and ineffectual against our brutal heat and humidity. In this breezy and 'cooler' season, the wind doesn't come in to this venue. It sits within a courtyard, literally, and it's in the stale square since the wind is blocked. I brought three fans and we were quite okay.

I'm not sure I'd return to the Courtyard for future editions of the Paw Party unless the friends want to, and we simply make up a table and have a chat. The menu at lunch has been tweaked, and looking through the list of items, I'm not exactly hot about them. I was rather upset with the Courtyard's interpretation of laksa. We went at lunchtime (the lunch menu is from noon to 2pm) so there would be more items available. However, the expected Singapore laksa wasn't on the menu at all. Even the tea-time 2-6pm menu didn't offer that. They took it off the menu entirely. 

The menu offered laksa as 'laksa alla chittara'. I absolute disliked it. It was utterly disappointing. Luckily I didn't order it as a full portion. I had it in a bundle that came with beef rendang and fried mantou, and spicy tiger prawns. However, the chicken fried rice was splendid. I wasn't expecting such good wok-hei in a non-greasy version. It's just... A LOT OF CARBS.

My Two Floofy Clowns

That's a wrap for Ryo's year-end staycation with us. He has been coming over every year. Too cute. He seems to understand how it goes, and now at mine, he doesn't hide in a corner anymore. He sits out in the living room with us. He's super comfortable at home with us now. He is still reactive outdoors, but that is fine by me. I don't set him up for failure, and I watch out for him, and I'm happy to advocate for him. 

It is an effort to haul two floofs around, what more Ryo who is a lot less portable at 17.5kg. A bigger dog takes more time to clean. We can't not clean them either, especially during the rainy season. Allo, giardia and leptospirosis! When we all live together for weeks in a flat, it's in my interest to keep both of them clean, healthy and happy.

I'll just have to be conscious of their proximity to each other especially when they're not playing, and are both eager to welcome me or want my attention. That's when they do fight, aside from fighting over rules at home about walking around in the nights. AIYOHHH. It's hilarious what goes through the minds of these two floofs. They simply make up their own rules!

When they get their fangs in each other's faces, it's more than drool. They could get scratched and such. At one spat, Ryo's teeth grazed Choya's ears and drew blood. Her screams were bloodcurdling. Not from fear but from anger at Ryo. Luckily, there wasn't a tear or a rip. Whewwww. But there was a lot of blood because dogs' ears are thin with loads of capillaries. I stopped it and administered antiseptic and antibiotic cream. Choya healed fast. After a time out for both, they were friends again. Duhhh.

I really don't mind this little boy staying with us lah. I've watched this boy grow up. I know his temperament, triggers and inclinations. I don't even feel resentful against him that Choya was scratched. He didn't mean it. Two dogs at home would inevitably have squabbles every now and then. This is no different. And well, I threw out questions to ChatGPT and it did a great job to seek information on dog behaviour and reassured me that this wasn't a pattern or an inclination to bully. Hahahahaha.

Ryo knows how to ask me for food, and has largely followed Choya's usual two meal timings. I'm just pleased that meal-times with this boy is no longer a pain. He ate so well with us that I was honestly shocked. He hit 500g a day! Wow. It's quite unheard of. On many days, he doesn't even want to eat 450g. He likes keeping it at about 400g. Well, he knows that there're no snack times in this home. He would just have to eat his usual meals. At most they get cheese. 

Beemster and Maaslander

Shamelessly went over to our friends' for dinner. They promised us an easy one-dish meal, and then we would do wine and cheese. They had Beemster and Maaslander to share. Yayyy! Okay. A one-dish pasta meal with salad sounded about right, and wouldn't put them out too much. Tomatoes, mushrooms and pici. That was a happy meal. I might have over-ate the carbs. The pici was boiled nicely al dente. Ooooof. 

Choya finally had a proper sniff of my godson's baby brother's feet. Hahaha. She knew there's an additional member in the home who's a baby, but when we visited the last time, he was still a newborn, so I didn't want her to approach him just yet. 

My godson was simply very thrilled to have Choya to toddle after. They hung out together like best buddies for a bit. We all ROTFL when Choya drank water from a bowl on the floor, and the godson followed suit by placing his bottle on the floor and he bent down to drink from it. 

The Smol Girl was surprisingly rather accommodating towards the godson. I think she likes him. Of course we watched the little boy's hands and his strength. His parents are mad strict with him not bothering Choya. But his own too-familiar Maddie the JRT is relentlessly 'bullied'. LOL Luckily Maddie knows how to run away!

Choya had the time of her life with cheese. Till she happily sat down for a long while to beg for it! She ate SO MUCH CHEESE. She even got a piece of parma ham. Goodness. Luckily I was smart and gave her probiotics that morning, and would give her another dose the next day. Her poop was excellent, and she said that her stomach was meant to contain a ton of cheese. 

家有喜事 :: 二少滿月、大少升級為哥哥、毛千金生日、父母萬歲！

There was much to celebrate and loads of joy in the friends' home. We celebrated Maddie turning 11, and my godson becoming a big brother, his new baby brother's 30 days on earth (滿月), and the parents surviving a newborn and an active two-year-old. I have no idea how the friends do this, but they do it amazingly. 

Choya was invited to this party. Before we went, I had a talk with her to remind her not to bully Maddie. They fight like fiends. Remember Choya nipped Maddie in the ass all the years ago? In recent years, they've learnt to co-exist. Nowadays, for some reason, Choya has decided to pounce on Maddie first. Aiyoh. I can't have Choya bully Maddie in her own home. 

Choya kept her word. She was a very good girl and left Maddie be. My godson was very pleased to have 'free access' to Choya. LOLOL He's now very gentle with Choya, and the shibe let him touch her ears and tail and all, and didn't mind him sitting next to her.

Maddie shared a piece of her birthday cake with her. It was beef and blueberries. I giggled. At least Choya got some cake now since us derelict pawrents didn't even get her a cake for her birthday last weekend. Then it was bedtime for Maddie and she retired to her room. It was snooze-time for Choya too.    

We had dinner delivered from Kelly Jie Seafood. It was perfect for us because we haven't a chance to pop by the restaurant to have a meal, and we've always wanted to. The man really wanted to have crab, and he was thrilled to get some roe and lovely meat. I was very happy to have fried mantou, chilli crab dip, a bit of crab and loads of beehoon and tofu. And salad youtiao! Wheeeeee.  

Us humans had a great dinner, fabulous wines and the best company. 

Off To Lunch with the Floofs

I had a free day, and intentionally kept it empty. I didn't even have to vacuum or clean house. Gosh. I was tired. I didn't bother with nails, hair or anything like that. Didn't even want to go to the gym. I didn't want to meet anybody, and I didn't even have to talk to the husband who was in the office for the whole day too. He left at 7am for a super early start to his day. 

I was up by 7am anyway. After taking the floofs for a quick morning pee, I happily mooched around at home. Then I took the floofs out for a mid-day stroll. We would walk to an easy lunch. The route to The Standard was sheltered all the way; the mid-day sun wouldn't matter.

The floofs merrily sniffed everything and made a poop. Yayyy. It absolutely made the outing worth it. They were very pleased at being invited out for an extra walk. The only issue with the garden patio at The Standard — while we have a sheltered table, there are no overhead or portable fans. We could hope for a little breeze now and then. A hot day meant an easy lunch of Caesar's salad and a ton of iced sparkling water. 

I like my own company. Solitude. Although this pocket was accompanied by the floofs. They are always quiet and mostly on their best behavior, so taking them out and having them around isn't an issue at all. Today was similarly peaceful. Spending two hours by myself like this is pure luxury.

Food for Floofs!

Spent an afternoon at the stove. Steamed the usual pumpkin, broccoli and carrots for a little Ozi. I kinda do it monthly since I needed to keep a stash of pumpkin the freezer for Choya and Ryo. That's the magic ingredient for the dogs. It provides fiber and soothes the gut. Thankfully all the floofs like pumpkin, although they are picky about what type of pumpkin used. LOL

I made a batch of sous vide chicken breast for the husband. Marinated them thoroughly and added paprika. He's back to a low-carb diet, so I might as well keep some extra protein in the fridge every now and then. Since the sous vide box is out, I might as well do a bag for the floofs. That would just hold herbs and a touch of salt flakes. 

Choya doesn't take to raw chicken. She likes sous vide chicken a lot better. Or when we do roast chicken. Heh. So I try to put a bit of water into the bag to have some 'broth/gravy' for the floofs. Also thawed out the last three cubes of kangaroo and seared them for her. 

I even bothered to fry up some cabbage in fish sauce and peppers for the humans. I already have all the ingredients from things for the floofs. There would be no wastage. Added dried shrimps too, since the husband likes that. I always prefer to eat the vegetables I cook, rather than the over-salted versions at restaurants. So I do try to keep a few servings of vegetables at home weekly. Done in an easy Asian stir-fry, they're really tasty. 

Ryo was staying with us this week. He can't do chicken, and obviously no chicken eggs. So I seared him a flank steak. 200g would feed him over four meals — that's like a topper to his raw base. This boy is into grain-fed beef, and lightly cooked. He's somehow not very interested in gamey meats like kangaroo or venison. He's not even that keen on grass-fed beef. When I seared this flank steak, I could only put a wee bit of salt on it, and absolutely no herbs. He doesn't like vegetables or herbs either. Ugh. 

I technically only have Choya, but I tell people that I feed three dogs. Hurhurhur. I know all their food preferences and intolerances. Well, I can have Ryo and Ozi too since they're all approved to stay in my home, just not at the same time.

Visited a Newborn!

I went to visit my godson's brand new baby brother. He's just 5 days old. Teehehhehe. He was fast asleep and didn't care that we were milling around him for a bit. Then we left him be. We were there to see his parents, our dear friends. 

There's a nanny for my godson. But they would need extra help. So I'm glad that schedules worked out and they have a confinement nanny to help with the newborn. Otherwise it's really painful.  

This means that the mother gets nutritious (albeit boring) food for the month. Our dear friends aren't into confinement things, but to have decent homecooked food daily, that suit that tastebuds? Why not. The mother is recuperating after the trauma of birth (birthing is trauma). The newborn's parents are settling into new routines of parenting two young children, and juggling full-time jobs and still keep their own identities.

The husband and I weren't intending to stay for dinner. We went at 5pm and had a drink with them. Then we were just chatting and over-stayed. So we shamelessly crashed their dinner-time. Our friends generously fed us. It was really 三菜一湯, plus two types of rice. We were seriously pampered. And grateful for this meal. Dinner portions tonight were more than enough to feed everyone! LOLOLOL 

Ryo Turned 6!

In between pulling off N's surprise 50th birthday part, of course we actually celebrated Ryo's birthday! The date was smack on the floof's birth date. The handsome boy turned SIX. We turned up earlier at N's to have a glass of champagne, and also to drop off Choya. After all, the kiddos would stay at home their nanny while we humans went out to dinner. 

N and B are our friends too, and our bonds of friendship aren't just about the dogs. The humans have much in common and we have plenty of conversation topics. My husband gets along great with N's husband, B, which is quite rare. You know, the thing about forming adult friendships. 

Ryo got to sniff his gifts before we went out to dinner. He was super pleased to kick them around and have a nibble. To my surprise, Choya didn't attempt to steal his toys. Heh. We wanted the kiddos to settle in before we erm abandoned them. The boy likes new toys, so he's got a number of gifts from his school fwens and Aunties, and of course from Choya. She got him a lovely 200-gram slab of grass-fed Tasmanian Angus fillet. 

We went to a super fun dinner, and returned to sort out Ryo's birthday pupcake! The kiddos were hilarious! They only took tentative licks of the pupcakes in my hand. They didn't know what to make of it! Hahahahaha. They don't know how to eat things off of my hands, so I broke the pupcakes over their bowls. Then they happily ate it. 17-kg Ryo could do one whole pupcake, but he had dinner, so he didn't need all of it. 7.5-kg Choya took a quarter out of his. 

Happy Sixth, dear Ryo. We love seeing you come into your own. May you grow in confidence, be a happy silly boy and be in good health. 

That's A Wrap for Ryo's Summer Staycation with Us.

The boy seemed to have had a fun time these two weeks. He has bonded with us much earlier (having Choya helps), but he's even more familiar now. Ryo's probably the only dog I truly have affection for besides Choya. I generally like all my friends' dogs, but I'd take him in a heartbeat in an emergency or for the long-term. Yes, his mom and I have discussed it. Oooof.

Ryo's turning six at the end of the month, and we've known him since he was a wee pup! He has finally come to trust us fully. He knows that he is welcome in this home, and he's found his corners and is comfortable here. That's not an unusual time-frame to gain a jittery dog's trust.

Ryo had to switch food suppliers (that's a whole brouhaha that went to the Small Claims Tribunal and we got the order in our favor), and I had to actually use my certification and some brains and what I know of Ryo to tailor a brand new food plan. Nutritional needs stay similar since his health profile hasn't changed, and his level of activity remains the same. 

His mom had such a giant headache figuring it out, and we're still checking out what each brand really offers and will settle on the few whose quality and delivery timings and punctuality that we're fine with.

I told her to never pay upfront S$3000 for a long-term food subscription that might not materialize after that first delivery. Choya's food supplier doesn't support a long-term subscription plan either. They give clients the freedom to choose. We only need to order food that will last for two weeks or four weeks. We're not obligated to anything else. 

I found solid alternatives for Ryo. There will always be as long as I search, and I didn't even have to search that hard. Ryo's fully on a raw diet now. He does fine on it. He's simply fussy, and he's not motivated by meal-times unless he's actually hungry. He likes desserts; I refuse to feed him tarts and cakes. Found him a decent base, and rather fun toppers. 

I had to sleep on the floor for two nights because they suddenly decided that it was fun pouncing on each other in the middle of the night, and then going full-on Crazy Shibe Bork Battle with spittle flying and fangs showing. They did that once in the first week. In the second week, they went at each other like thrice a night. I opted to sleep on the floor to physically restrain them at the first moments. Getting down from the bed was too slow. I was also concerned that they would really sink their fangs into each other. The husband was sanguine and said he trusted them both. Nope. No can do. I asked the floofs what the heck was going on. They complained loudly about it. Riiiiight. 

The first week was because Choya did her usual pacing, and decided to walk over and go up her stairs to check on me and see if I was still breathing. Ryo decided to police her about it and said that walking around at night and climbing beds weren't allowed. So they fought. The second week was this same thing about Ryo wanting Choya to follow the rules, except that he didn't wait for her to come nearer. He stalked her. The husband said he was waiting for her. I was like, NO. He was stalking her! Then he wanted to play with Choya at 2am. Choya hates playing at 2am; she wants to sleep. So they fought again and again. So much pouncing. OMG. 

So I slept on the floor to tell them NO. Had to do night training. Haha. The floofs got it, and pawmised that they would leave each other alone. They refused to pawmise me that they wouldn't do it again. Haizzzz. Thankfully, I got to sleep on the bed for the next three nights till Ryo went home. Those three nights were absolutely peaceful. 

Ryo is practically my second dog. He comes over all the time. Sure, he gets along with Choya, he's a Shibe. They can be trusted to stay home alone for a few hours. He does fit into my schedule and I don't actually have to adjust much for him. He's also a dog who has been taught home etiquette which meets my standards. Byeeee Ryo. See you again. 

Four Floofs Tonight!

Our neighbors had to work late and asked us if we minded taking Maya and Ivy for an evening pee and a stroll so that they didn't have to wait till 11pm. The husband enthusiastically said yes even before I read all the texts. Pfffffft. He said yes, without asking me. Except that I would be the one doing it and not the husband. 

The last time the husband agreed to pet-sitting without asking me, I refused to help him at all. When he didn't clear dates with me and I was flooded at work, I had no mood to be helpful. I let him experience it full-on and he decided he'd never do it again if I'm not around. Well. He is really not a ‘housework and cleaning’ sort of dude. Our friends will be sorely mistaken to think that he is. He never has had to change even the toilet rolls at home, or mop the floor. He has never done housework in his entire life. At the end of the day, I’m the one cleaning shit. 

This is why people shouldn't ask friends to pet-sit. It's not just about cute floofs. When friends ask me, it's never about the floofs that will influence my decision. I'm not flattered that you think I can handle your dog. I know very well that you're viewing me as a useful tool. You know very well how superficial our relationship is; you just want someone to care for your dog. I will consider my friendship with you, and I consider why you're asking me this, and I think about your living habits and hygiene. I will consider what you expect versus what I'm willing to do and why you would even expect me to do this. 

It's an enormous responsibility. On top of my work day, and daily obligations. If your dog comes over to me, he's invading my space and I have to shift my schedule around his needs too, and if he doesn't get along with Choya, that's a firm NO. Not many dogs meet my house etiquette requirements. If I go over to walk your dog, you do realize that it's a seismic schedule shift that I am most reluctant to accommodate? Especially if you don't live near me at all. Do you realize that I have to wake up at 4.30am or 5am, walk my own dogs and then drive 20 minutes over to you, walk yours and feed, then get to work. And I repeat this at night, delaying my own bedtime, quiet-hour, and even having to decline evening social invitations to dinner and even having to skip gigs and shows that I have booked. 

WHY DO PEOPLE THINK IT'S OKAY TO IMPOSE ON FRIENDS LIKE THIS? DO THEY EVEN KNOW WHAT IT TAKES?

IT IS ALSO NOT OKAY TO IMPOSE ON FAMILY MEMBERS IN THIS MANNER TOO. Please don't expect your family to care for your pets just like that. 

I'm not unemployed and so damn free till I'm happy that you're offering something for me to do and not even paying me. I can do it for a day or two for friends, and never more than that. I will take Ryo because he's a Shiba-ken and his pawrents and us have a firm friendship. I will never do this for anyone that I don't have a solid friendship with. And this is a very narrow circle.

I have to take on everything that comes with caring for your dog, including vet visits and cleaning the house. Make no mistake in thinking that just coming in to walk the dog is easier than boarding the dog at mine. It's equally painful. I'd have to do a cursory clean; I surely can't just leave litter sand, fur and mess around for a week or two right? That means spending 2 hours a day at said home. More to do if it's a dog. That dog needs to be walked, cleaned and entertained. Food needs to be prepped and dishes CLEANED UP. 

I'm not sure if people know exactly what they're asking, or why they even think it's okay to ask this of friends. If being friends with you means that I have to check in and care for your pets too, then I’m glad we’re not friends and are simply acquaintances. I have no wish to be your valued friend. It's a very huge favor to ask. I could never.

Maya and Ivy.

I had a think about our neighbors' not-too-difficult request, and I was okay with it. They live in the estate, it's not much effort to do it since I didn't have a prior engagement. At the end of the day, we're neighbors, not friends. We have a cordial relationship based on civility; we do not have a friendship. I have Ryo this week, so Ryo and Choya's needs are priority. But doing a quick walk and feed for Maya and Ivy wouldn't be a big issue. Luckily these girls listen to me and are not difficult to walk since they know how I handle their leashes, and they do respond well to me.

What I didn't bargain for, was the unintentional 5km run this evening. Hahahahaha. I jogged Maya and Ivy for 3km around the estate. Then later in the night before (our human) dinner, we took the Ryo and Choya out and it was not that warm, so we ended up jogging 2km. Okaaaay, I got all my cardio in. 

What made me happiest at the end of the night was seeing all four floofs eat up their dinner and slurp up all the nutritious bone broth. They ate well tonight for sure!

Choya and Ryo.

A Good Stay & Wait

I often prefer to get the heavy non-chilled groceries online, and simply pop out to the supermarkets or wet markets to get the fresh vegetables and fruits and milk. I could technically take the dogs out to these grocery runs, but I don't live near a supermarket. They're a drive away. And those within 'walking distances' are located in malls. I'm not inclined to tie my dogs this far away. That would be irresponsible. 

I wouldn't mind my dogs waiting for me at the smaller supermarkets say, the CS Fresh at Siglap V, or the one at Greenwood Avenue. They remain outside, away from pedestrian traffic, and I hope dog owners would know not to go near my dogs since mine wouldn't approach them while they're on a 'wait mission'. These supermarkets are smaller, and I have a direct view of my dogs. I'm usually very quick in these aisles. I prefer that. That night, I needed some milk and Greek yoghurt and cherry tomatoes. It was about 9.30pm, and dog-traffic is lower at this hour. 

It would be foolish of me not to tie them to the railing. I usually do — securing them to the rails with a carabiner. Tonight, the husband was there, so he held on to them. He let the leash loose so that the floofs would be comfortable. We don't need them to sit. Although sometimes sitting makes them feel more stable and less nervous. Ryo and Choya obediently did a Stay and Wait. 

When I was done with payment and strolling out to them, they stared at me through the glass door. It was too cute. My Choya was completely focused on her mission. Ryo was just... very distracted. LOL But they didn't bolt. Good job floofs.

Byeeeee Maya!

Maya has gone off!! Yayyyy!!! 

I had to switch my schedule to accommodate two floofs and to have to walk/run Maya so that she is sufficiently exercised. To be very honest, I don't think I can do this again. To have Maya over without an actual solid friendship with her pawrents, feels a bit unfulfilled. This isn't how I do things. I might as well do a sort of exclusive boarding then, and charge for it. 

if I ever want a second dog, it can only be a shibe. No other breeds (to live in a small flat) are suitable for me. I'm biased. I have no patience to train a non-Shiba-ken. 

Having a second dog staying over is not just double the work. It's triple the work, especially when it's an 18-kg pomsky that sheds equally much. Catering to the different diets and foods required isn't an issue. The issue is cleaning up because both Ryo and Mayo are soooo messy. OMG. Choya is friggin neat. When they drink water, they splash it all over the floor. Even a splatter mat is useless; they always manage to hurl out the water farther. 

All dogs have their quirks. Ryo is over-reactive and can be aggressive if I don't read him right or fail him when it comes to interacting with other floofs. Maya, on the other hand, is over-enthusiastic, which speaks volume about her cluelessness when it comes to socialization with other dogs. It's pretty taxing to have to watch her and train too. Luckily she responds well to me. 

Besides thoroughly vacuuming and airing out the flat, and mopping, I also did a ton of laundry for the toys and floofs' mats. Then I took Choya out for some well-deserved down-time alone. Then I went off to do my nails. The daily washing (even with gloves) and vacuuming, while not strenuous, it's tiresome. Had the nails properly shorn and had them scrubbed and moisturized. Ahhhhh.  

Hydrating Maya's Kibbles

I had some fun with Maya's food. The pawrents gave their green light for me to experiment. Maya has an iron stomach, but I still have to be careful. She's 18 kg, so she needs a fair volume of food a day. If we go by fresh or raw foods, it's about 450g a day, or 2 cups of kibbles a day. 

Maya is on a kibbles base. Currently, it's chicken with fish oil. I can't completely ditch that. I'm mindful not to have her reject her usual food when she goes home. If feeding a dog kibbles makes sense for the family's schedules and household budget, and such, then so be it. 

The choice of commercial kibbles nowadays are wider. More brands are putting effort into making them grain-free and have fewer unnecessary fillers. It is still highly processed though. We would do better to hydrate these kibbles. You wouldn't want to be eating dry biscuits or army pre-packed rations all day right?

Doing toppers of fresh foods and bone broth would be the easiest in terms of managing the cost of a dog's monthly food expenses. That would also add some needed moisture to the meal. It has been humid and mad hot. While Singapore is pretty much like this all year round, we still need to be mindful of keeping our floofs' bodies cool. 

I keep Maya's base of kibbles, adding on air-dried venison squares, and then a hydration boost by way of bone broth (pork, beef and chicken). I also add on freeze-dried treats in the form of sweet potato, pork and bell peppers and such. Single-protein toppers such as sous vide pork, duck, lamb or chicken are also included. I don't need to cook for Maya. I got single packs of frozen cooked food which are sooooo convenient to thaw out and serve. Hahahahah. 

I don't hesitate sprinkling psyllium husk to soothe the gut or a supplement for joints via a tub of beef collagen (type II) and chondroitin. Maya is 6.5 years old; she can do with easy supplements for her joints and hips. I'm liking how her powdery kibble-poop has decreased in volume and firming up to be dense and doing a solid chocolate. 

Choya does three meals a day. That Smol Girl is SPOILT. So Maya follows suit to have the three meals a day too. I admit, it's a bit tedious cleaning up after Maya. She's much bigger, so water and food simply spill out everywhere after each meal. Choya is very much neater. With Maya eating thrice a day instead of her usual two, I just need to ensure that her total daily volume remains similar. I think she has been enjoying her meals very much and eating really well. She loves bone broth and all the foods, and cleans out her bowl at each meal.