Chinese New Year!

       Chinese New Year is just a few more days away. I've done all the preparations, leaving the hardest and the most troublesome on the list to be done on the last few days before the big day. I have valid reasons for this. The cleaning and decorating of the living room and kitchen, where the children frequents needs to be done while they are sleeping, on the New Year Eve.
        I remember during my childhood, I'd go to sleep after a very generous dinner with our extended family, and woke up to a beautiful living room. The couch would have a new dressing, all the simple red decorations were up on the walls, there will be a pink and red decorated tree in a corner and all the snacks suddenly appear out of nowhere in Tupperwares. It feels so magical every time.
         As I grew older, I became part of the 'magic'. With my younger brother in bed, I'll help with the tree decorations, changed the couch's casings, made decorations with red packets with my older brother, and opened the store bought packages of snacks to be put into Tupperwares. Due to my parents being working parents, everything is done in the last minute. I relish the time when the neighbours were playing firecrackers after the clock strikes 12 midnight while we were busy sweeping and mopping the floor, to get the last of the dust (due to the firecrackers). Once everything is quiet, we'd finish our final touches before going to bed. 
         And now, as a wife and mother, some of the 'traditions' seeped into my household too. I'll do all the cleaning (with the help of a cleaning maid, hihi) during the school holidays. Then hubby and I will find time here and there to go shopping without the children - for New Year clothes, decorations and snacks. The things will have to be kept away from their sight. When school opens in the beginning of the year, there's usually a few weeks left before Chinese New Year. During the weekends, I'll wash the new clothes and bedsheets. (though this year is an exception since it has been raining almost everyday), so, don't judge : coz I decided not to wash the sheets unless the weather promises to be nice for at least the whole day. (don't worry, the sheets have been washed during the holidays)
        With only a few days left, hubby and I are going to focus on cleaning up our work areas, store the children's toys (when they were not looking), and our yearly tradition : bake cakes after the reunion dinner, and when the children are asleep. This is one tradition I cherish. We get to spend some quality time together, baking and chatting. Hubby is the main chef here with me as the assistant. He'll bake at least 2- 3 cakes and exchanged half with my MIL. This way, we'll have around 6 homemade cakes to serve our visitors.
        It is a joy to be able to create 'magical' moments for my children. I hope this helps to create sweet memories for them. How about your family? Are there any traditions you would like to share?

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.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Just taking a little time to wish everyone a blessed and prosperous new year!

*will be updating with activities we do. 'till then!... 

Chinese New Year celebration

One thing that we agreed on when we got married, is to have simple, frugal celebration of Chinese New Year.

One of the reason is that no one actually want to eat all the junk food sold specially during CNY. Everyone is health conscious nowadays, and preferred plain water. Our friends and relatives came to have intimate chit chat or just to keep up to date with everyone.... they don't really care about the food served on the table. In the end, the 'leftover' junk food will either be thrown away, or into my own stomach. (I will eat them when they are so easily available)

Another reason is that I wanted to minimize the intake of junk food for myself and also for my kids.

That being said, every year dearest hubby will take on the task of baking a variety of cheese cakes. This year, he baked 4 cakes and a jelly. MIL gave us 2 cakes, an aunt gave us 2 cakes and a special jelly and we bought 2 more cakes. We also prepared Malay food of Chicken Curry and Beef Rendang with rice - these are mainly to satisfy our student's appetite. We did buy a few types of junk food, and we will only serve them when the kids are not around - (sleeping).

Red Packet from God

We only go to the church my parents in law goes to once a year - during Chinese New Year. The church's level of noise does not suit me nor Joy. I have always preferred quiet and peaceful environment, and Joy is scared of the noise.

One tradition at the church that draws me to it, is the giving of red packets that contained a card with the word of God. It is the best gift for a new start. I like to reflect upon the word, and sometimes felt that God wants to remind me or warn me in facing the unknown challenges of the new year.

Here are HIS words for me, my dear husband and Jay. (Joy was so afraid of the singing and dancing and shouting on the stage - accompanied by a full band of drums, guitars and organ, that she hid herself, refusing to look at the pastor)

For me;

'I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.' - Galatians 2:20

For hubby;

'The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to Him.' - Ezra 8:22

For Jay;

'Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge Him.' - Hosea 6:3