CNY Highlights...

Phew!!! I am really glad that Chinese New Year is over. Tomorrow will mark the end of the celebration... and I am certainly glad it's over. Well, I did enjoyed the few days break from work to be with family, but the kids have been sick, and we had a hard time getting them to drink lots of plain water (when there's other more inviting juices around) and to get their hands off the snacks (especially when there are guests). This time, little Joy had ulcers (thank God it's not anything more serious) in her mouth, that she could not and is very careful with what she puts in her mouth. The problem is - she is always hungry. She rejects her usual Brown rice milk, and takes to chrysanthemum tea. She even rejects her favourite chicken soup and the chicken meat. Luckily it only lasts 2 days, with all the whining and crying when she is hungry but dare not eat, for fear of the pain. (the ulcers are at the right side of her lips. we can only carefully feed her from the left side, which is very difficult).

On the third day, when the ulcers are better, she rejects all nutritious food - and only takes snacks - the chips and anything crunchy. Gosh, its hard to get her or the brother off those food when there's guests around. I can only be thankful she is willing to try the cakes. At least its better than the chips. - and she lost weight. Her small face is even smaller. Not to mention her already skinny body. Sigh....

Anyway... there are some rare moments we enjoyed as family. This year, I was very determined to get nice photos my children together. I had to follow little Joy everywhere and try to get her to look at the camera. Well, I did get some nice, memorable photos.

hi hi... the only time of the year when my living room is in tip top condition.

Say cheese..... hubby prepared 4 types of cheese cakes this year.
Hooray for a husband who bakes. I am only the assistant, but phew,
it was like a battle against time, as we started after the kids were asleep,.
We finished 3 types in less than 4 hours that night. Hubby made another one
in the morning, with the son watching and 'helping'.
(he was begging to help)

Little Jay resurrected his bird's house. We made this together
after he watched the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse where Goofy
made a bird house for little Redbird. - oh, and he learnt
a few new vocabulary too.

Can you see the butterfly among the greens?  Jay spotted it
and begged me to take photos of it :)

Common scenario every Eve of CNY where hubby will
play fireworks outside, and the kids watching from inside.
Warms my heart as I watched little brother telling and pulling
sister to watch the fireworks together - and there's
no resistance from sister too. :)

Ermmmm.... Our only table activity for CNY. I had these in store for
a long time, and it seemed like the appropriate time to use them.

From Jay.

From Joy.

Wanna see Joy in action? This is common scenario now.
I just love to see her planning in action.
She saw a soft toy on top of the shelf. She goes to take a stool.

On her way...

Yup... that's it...

Reach up....

Got it!

Oh... my little boy is 4 this year. He has been waiting and telling everyone.
And super excited. We bought him a train cake.
(he has been telling us for months that he wanted a Train cake)

Hubby and I got a few hours to ourselves to celebrate Valentine's day..

I bought lots of these fun stencils for Jay's birthday. But he was more interested
in the trains he got from hubby and grandparents.
Well... I'm waiting to see when he'll get to these... one day.

# I just had to add this in. My in-laws wanted to have a family photo taken in a studio. Wow... My dear daughter really gave the photographer and his assistants a hard time. She refused to look at the camera, and kept laughing and climbing all over the place. Luckily the photographer was very patient and kept all of us saying 'five, six, seven" (in chinese) over and over again, while keeping our pose... so that he could snap the perfect time whenever the little girl looks at the camera. Yay! He did manage to snap a few fun and happy photos of us. - we could never have the serious, formal photos. But the happy, smiling and laughing faces in the photos are all worth the trouble and the time.