CNY cookies

We got a nice CNY gift from Xiao Thung & Jing Hang's mommy. It's puppy shape cookies. Anyone notice that our photo above is actually "engineered" by mommy? We were too engrossed in 盯着 the cookies, so our photos doesn't look nice as a pair of 活宝 like mommy wants them.

姐姐 and 弟弟: Hey seal! Why are you nearer and nearer until at the top of the cookie jar? Don't be so greedy to get all the cookies... Share with us!

FYI, the bluish toy is a little mouse which Teacher Ivy gave 弟弟 when he celebrated his birthday at school.

Auntie... we finish up in less than 10 minutes, we know you spent hours baking :)

Drumming to March of the Little Bears

The class starts to learn March of the Little Bears. Teacher start by the melody "La Do La Fa...." and accompaniment of 4/4 time with 1st and 3rd beats. How she does it? She ask them to sing the melody, while beat the drum at the 1st and 3rd beats. Wow ~ I wouldn't have thought about it until I attended the lesson with 姐姐. It didn't seem as difficult as they enjoyed the marching beats and the drum-beating action with music.

Here is 姐姐 taking her turn at the drum, she is in pink t-shirt and pony tail. The boy at the back of her - Zi Jie - actually was before her when queueing. However he pushed her to the front before it's their turn. Hahaha..... cannot imagine why he didn't wanna have a go first. Pai seh, photo is very blurred as bad photographer and moving children. Actually I think I must freeze all my movement until the photo "clicked" on the screen :P

姐姐's school work

姐姐 is learning the theme "All about myself" and also "routines and greetings" at school.


Long time I didn't note down her height and weight. 19kg is what teacher measured. She came back saying "so-and-so (boy) is 30kg er!"



I think she still haven't fully grasp the concept of time over the day, as she is confused over what colour is the sky at noon/evening/night. So it's good that school is teaching them.

Belated 吃大餐 celebration with 弟弟

We usually go for a special makan treat for our birthdays. So we choose E&O Hotel Sarkies Corner Sunday hi-tea lunch for 弟弟's celebration. Looks like dinner is more appetising from Xiao Thung's birthday celebration :) Of course, dinner comes with free-flow wine (not sure weekend only or everyday) which is not suitable as I can't drink, and more expensive too. Another lesson I learnt as we took them for Italian theme buffet once for dinner, they had milk before afternoon nap, and they were quite full and hardly ate much food. So lunch is always better for them.

Good thing about lunch, we get to have a good look around the place. Even though my trusty old camera from 2002 is spoilt from various problem (弟弟 poked at the lense and instead of making croaking sound, have to manually pull the lense out now), still manage to take these photo. Although unable to zoom anything now.

Sea view from the garden


One of my fave photos today, my precious children 相亲相爱 and view of our hometown.


The little boy looking macho on a cannon (not sure mock or just old...). The children keep asking how a cannon works in the car later. I just cerita based on what I see in the movies, as if I have been in war before... ("The lookout spotted an enemy... and will say "Enemy incoming" (ala Transformers). The Lieutenant will take a binoculous to look and determine if friend or enemy. If enemy, Lieutenant will order the soldiers to open fire. Soldiers will fill the cannon with dynamites and "BAM" the cannon ball will fly to hit the enemy")

This is outside the patio from Sarkies' Corner. If you dine/lunch outside, it'll be sweltering heat for the day (at least for now) and potentially mosquito bites for the nite.

姐姐 wanted to take photo with the yellow flowers. But she is keeping her distance as she spotted a small bee buzzing around the flowers. She didn't wanna retake even if her eyes not looking at the camera.

This is outside "the Conservatory"

I'm taking this photo as I wanted to research antique-styled fan, which would look nice in my future study room. I read a novel that an antique looking fan in the study room looked 写意. However I didn't find any, maybe they are in the hotel rooms. I still remember the row of rooms of this hotel (maybe they changed it to be more stylish now) as I came here for my piano ABRSM exams from age 10 to 18 (argh what a nightmare).

After taking this photo, 弟弟 just stepped out to the water pipe you see here and turned on the water tap. Splash! scared and shocked himself but was laughing away with 姐姐 while we scolded him for messing around.

My so-called artistic shot of the trees and sky.


There is a slight shower of rain, and the children refused to take any more photos. We went inside to explore the hotel as I still haven't found the antique looking fans. This is near the lift. The children were noisily banging on the "drum" looking decor and kena scold again.



This is an antique old lift, just for display. They were so fascinated when we told them have to 搅 the antique thingy by hand.

弟弟 tickle 姐姐.

They requested to take a photo with the CNY flowers. No sight of my fan.

The restroom is very old looking especially the tiles and even the flush toilet :)

Outside again, and no more shower. Hurray, finally take their photo with the flowering tree.

We spent some time looking at the sea. Saw a fish pop up the surface and dive back down again. A crab on the rocks. Some ships in the distance (as I said, lense is spoilt so unable to zoom... boo hoo...)

Now, even as we went through the place twice, we didn't find the gazebo that France Taipei (a wedding photo place) keep promoting. They were about the only ones that were allowed to photograph in E&O for their outdoor shoot at the time 爸爸 and I got married. Where did the gazebo go? I have to come back again to look for it.

Why is Tesco so fun?

弟弟: Oh, I see Tesco, I'm so happy!

姐姐 asked 弟弟 "Why you always say Tesco Tesco, so fun meh?"

弟弟: Fun la.... got 蛋蛋 (McD Big Breakfast) and kungfu panda (one of the rides)

This is the kungfu panda

Her wavy hair

All four of us have wavy hair. Look at 姐姐's hair in this backview photo.... and it was washed and combed 2 or 3 times before going out.


One day, an auntie in the lift was smiling at 姐姐 while we are on the way back home after 姐姐's ballet class. She asked "Is her hair 生成 this curly?" I answered " Of course, auntie. She's only so young, I don't think anyone would perm their hair at her age". Hm.... makes me wonder why auntie ask such a question? Maybe in her days, girls do perm their hair at young age. Me, I no longer want to go against nature for now.

Last year's drawings

Very backdated post about the children's drawings...

This is typical of 姐姐, she say this drawing is homework that she assign to herself .


Her colourful hearts for everyone she love


Umbrella as it was rainy before.


Not sure why such a combination of lamp and sun.

姐姐 and 爸爸

姐姐 and 妈妈

She likes to draw "I Love You"

She likes candles as they represent birthdays.

姐姐's first time writing her chinese name for us.


弟弟 say this is monster


Er, we don't know what he is drawing here. 姐姐 say maybe fish.


Another monster, more colourful this time

妈妈: 弟弟, please 画一个 bear 给我.

弟弟: 我不会画哦!

妈妈: Just 画圆咕噜的眼睛，圆咕噜的脸...

After drawing a few small circles and a big circle for face...

弟弟: 哪！

弟弟: 妈妈, 我要画 flower 给你。怎样画的？

妈妈: Flower 是画圆圆, 旁边很多圆圆.

弟弟: 是这样吗？

And this is the result....

Do you still remember your childhood rides?

I used to have rides in the supermarket just the children. I think it's considered a priviledge back then in the 70's and 80's. But I only vaguely have some memory of some elephants and animals. So here is the photos to capture some of their rides... otherwise everyone will forget how the rides look like in 2009/2010. And this cheapskate mom wants to tell her children, hey you know how much "coins" we spent on rides? :)

School Update

As 弟弟 is a January baby and we started him in the 3 year old class last year, we were wondering if he should repeat the Early Development Program this year (which is the 3 year old class). After talking to our school principal, we decided to let him go on to 4 year old class. But I'm still not sure what will happen when he finishes PS3 at 5 years old, and can he go to Primary 1 at 6 years old. No chance to talk to our principal yet, as either we're rushing home for 姐姐's ballet or music, or our principal is busy, or we forgot about it.

Still time for him to get used to not being baby anymore. His exposure to drawing, singing etc... had been earlier than 姐姐, as he followed whatever she does. 姐姐 is November baby, so when she started the EDP she was also 2.5 years old. Not that we are kiasu parents, but better for her to learn something than sit around at home. I've trusted 姐姐 with her work and she's very interested in reading, even reading the simple storybooks on her own now.

Some craft done by teacher Ooi for 弟弟's class, I think to teach team about zebra "Z" and lion "L".


弟弟's coloring of "Sunflower" in his work book. Considering he just turned 3, it is quite neat and he filled up the page. Teacher Queenie also quite surprised and gave him a "Keep Up the Good Work" stamp and showed to 爸爸.


弟弟 colored these... except beehive and the wall helped by 姐姐.


He tries hard to color within the line. The straight line helped by teacher. All his homework nowadays are drawing straight lines and coloring.



During school holidays last year, teacher started guiding him to write ABC.