Family outing: how to measure its quality

Hubby took a few days off from work recently. It was the school holidays after all and we hadn't done anything with the kids. We had planned to go to the beach but it was too late to book anything not too expensive. Hubby had not been willing to pay too much for a holiday. Kids do not know, neither do we need to tell them, the cost of a holiday. We do not want them to be ungrateful, nor do we want them to feel indebted to us for the money spent. So, we did the next best thing: going to attractions where we did not need to stay overnight. There were many places in and around the city that were worthy of a family outing. On our list were: the National Zoo, Sunway Lagoon, Bird Park, Butterfly Park, suspension bridge in Forest Research Institute, etc. The costs of going to all these places added together would be less than a two-night stay in a beach resort. Both Hubby and I agree that quality family outing is not measured by ringgit. It is measured by our children's laughter :) My next few posts will be about the good times we had in our city outings.

Cameron - A trip to the highlands

We just got home from a two-night trip Cameron Highlands. This was a maiden trip for hubby and the kids to Cameron. As for me, it brought back a lot of memories as Cameron was a favourite getaway for my extended family.

Hubby's lasting impression on Cameron was COLD. The rain on the first night spoiled hubby's plans. We couldn't leave the apartment and it was so cold that hubby was afraid that the kids would catch cold. The boys couldn't sleep soundly because of the cold. I couldn't sleep soundly because the boys woke me up. Due to lack of sleep the whole brood was cranky the next afternoon. No prizes for guessing why we refrained from taking an overseas holiday.

It was not all gloom, however. The boys plucked strawberries and got spiderman key chains. The kids also had a great time admiring the chickens, tho' I don't think the chickens had a great time being "admired". "Harassed" would be more apt to describe the chickens' experience.

We went to the tea plantation and enjoyed the fresh air and beautiful view from the platform. We also manage to locate the Chinese temple before we left the mountains. I would've liked to enjoy a walk at the Brinchang night market but hauling the small kids into a drizzling night was not any parent's idea of fun.

Hubby enjoyed his scones and fried rice at T'cafe. The buffet at the hotel had a big enough spread to cater for the varied taste buds in my family. The sweet and juicy corns were a treat. The strawberries were a bit sour but delicious if added into ice cream. Yum!

Most enjoyable for me was the drive to Tanah Rata in the early evening with the boys sleeping in the back. Despite Yan's weight as she slept in my arms, I enjoyed the "privacy" I had with hubby as we chatted. I think he enjoyed the drive too even though the road was winding.

I don't think hubby would be keen to choose Cameron in near future. Too cold for his comfort. "Not that bad-lah. It was only because of the rain," I said, trying to change his mind because I hoped next time we'd stay at the bungalow with the beautiful view. Why? 'Cos I'm sure my kids will enjoy their stay there as much as I had enjoyed mine years ago.