Malacca 27/28 feb'10

was a fun adventure...

We rented 2 Honda stream and decided to meet up in Raffles Marina to swap drivers before proceeding to Malaysia. Mainly coz the Malaysian "Experts" were in the car coming from the west and ours were the "sure to get lost" car. As like all tours there were bound to be one later than the other and we managed to move off at about 830-9am. But by the time we reached Malacca was about 12-ish.. coz 1st we got overshot our exit and then one car got had mechanical issues that was delayed the drive.

surviving the ride with the DVD player

The car that we were in started to "blinking amber light" from an icon we all don't know what it meant! It got real scary coz the car was slowly down a great deal in the middle OF THE HIGHWAY! Although we were able drive, the car had zero ability to accelerate.. Ern's daddy had to step on it real hard for the car to move! Gosh I tell you it was cold sweat for all of us as that was the last place to be stranded... But after some brainstorming, they switched the car off and the icon stopped blinking, but after less than 10 mins it started again... but at this point we managed to reach the malacca outskirts, so it was a slow tortoise drive to the hotel. Manz the kiddos were real cranky by now as we didn't do any pitstop the whole journey.

can't get a photo of the blinking lights..

But all was well and we got into the hotel, managed to get 1 room ready as the check in was actually 2pm, so we all went to the room for a stretch before lunch.. the kiddos had great fun as the room was spacious enough to run around. After lunching, we all return back to unpack and the guys decided to deal with the car issue as we can't possibly drive back with a faulty car. So off they went solving the problem, while the mummies dealt with our problems - shopping and kiddos.

glad about the stretch

The problem was dealt within 3 hours and they came back more buddies than ever.. coz they had great male bonding (so that was what DD T said).

Camaraderie: Coz the guys managed to find their way to a honda workshop, cut the queue, got the boys to work on the problem of the car, screw the singapore car rental shop, had teh and kaya toast, came back, got the problem fixed - the spark plug was faulty, changed 4, managed a discount, all for 100 RM.

DD T words were "each of us had our responsibilities... chris :was stressful as it was under his name and he drove the car to look for the workshop, kenny: calling singapore to screw the folks there, fann: paid the bill, me: talking to everyone in the workshop so that they will get things done and do it well..

Mm F: wa, I'm surprised at the efficiency from you guys, I mean you hardly know each other that well and you are in Malaysia.

DD T: we are all army trained... each guy knows what is expected of him in time of crisis. Thats why we work so well together.. this is called team work

MM F: great, I'm very impressed... (no joke really impressed..) I mean they are in a foreign place and the world knows how some things in the country can get you in a sticky situation right?

By the time they came back was about 7 and we set off to have our dinner at some popular Teochew restaurant .. but being the blur cocks that we were, got lost a little and in the end walked a longer way which made us hungrier and damn sticky! Then of course a popular restaurant will never have space for us right? so we were went on a food hunt... then kenny found a great nonya restaurant with 4 high chairs! plus the food was great..

Did some walking around and everyone was drenched in their own sweat as it was so darn humid and it doesn't help that we had 4 pretty upset kiddos in their becos. But thank goodness for the daddies to help us in time of need. By the time we got back to the hotel and showered BB [V] , it was bout 10-ish and she crashed real fast.

Next morning, we arranged to meet up at 8am for breakkie but BB[V] just won't wake up.. she slept through all the way... so we talked real loud in front of her to stir her from her sleep. We have learnt that we CANNOT force wake her coz its a disaster but rather that she wakes up herself. She went down to have breakfast in her pajamas.

clearly damn upset.. and BB[V] played with my camera the day b4 and managed to turn on my date n time

the kiddos had their morning conference

and their morning exercise

The whole gang then went out for some photo taking in the scorching sun! really no joke man the sun... then we seek solace in the mall after that...

FOR THIS!!! yummy..

we got a great shot of them.. there was a bunch of children playing peekaboo with them!

Came back fed them their lunch, checked out and set off to JB for a late lunch at bout 3-ish. By the time we did some shopping and reached home, it was 7pm.

in the car back in singapore, my rascal gal took Brayden's pacifier to play.. she really enjoyed biting it... maybe I should buy one for her

It was real fun... till our next road trip. The guys got adventurous and want to try somewhere further.. we shall see..

4 families 2 cars 1 nite to Malacca.. < $700

$230 car, toll, petrol

$150 hotel stay with breakkie (equatorial)

$300 spending monies

Road Trip

we are going malacca this weekend

We don't do malaysia and beaches. Why? Dunno... never drove into malaysia except for a flight to penang which I didn't fancy but its just me again. Never do beaches coz we are not very sea people and ever since DD T brought me to Fiji, everywhere else is pale to comparison.

So this round Ern's parents "stirred" us to go and the daddy was willing to drive us in. Then DD T was like okie we will give it a go. So its 4 families 2 cars on a road trip. Hope its fun.

13th Months

okay .. not there 13 mths yet but......

SHE IS SCREAMING ...

Damn sian you know.. its supposed to a two year old issue right? But no lor.. The minute she turned 1 yr old, we realized a change in her temperament. She started to be more vocal and started saying 2 syllabus words, the 1st being BUBBLES. Then she started to scream... so I thought its a phase right? NO.. its has become so bad its embarrassing to carry a 1 year with such horrible behaviour. I mean people do give chance to a 2 yr old right since literature says its just them to behave like that right?

She will scream when we take things away, scream when her food is not to her liking, scream when I do things too slow, scream when its time to leave the playground in school, scream in the car for freaking no reason.. the list goes on....

I read up and its due to the fact they can't talk and is in fact communicating with us... I know very well she wants to talk but hey little one you are ONLY ONE!!!!!!!!!!! for crying out loud lar....

Its really a test of my patience.. really. Then there are the days she decides to be an angel and you cross your fingers and hope it has passed but in the end comes back with a vengeance. I know what I was getting into with a high need baby, she is hardly on track with those month to month explanation of a baby.. I usually read at least 5-6 months to pre-empt her behaviour but this round its a total year... :(

Lin her JG teacher told us that its obvious that BB[V] is one baby that is very mature for her age. Confident, vocal, loving... and that we must be doing something right for her to blossom so well. Then when I told her about her screaming, she was like oh well she is not surprised that she is doing it now... for she advances way before her peers and is not surprised if BB[V] comes back next term TALKING.

Terrible Twos will pass, to be replaced by Terrible Threes, Frightful Four and Fives, Scary Six and Seven, Petrifying Prepubescents and Torturous Teenagers... it a LONGGGGGG road ahead. Whatever lar... drained...

Other things about her: She is getting real attentive in class, when she was in the holiday program in JG she will crawl around and disturb babies and teachers. But now she sits on my lap listening to the stories and puppet shows, like a big gal. She started to make actions when we sings songs, dances like swaying her body left and right, bending her knees up and down.

There was this morning, she woke up, started planting kisses on my face.. not normal kisses.. BIG LOUD MUAKS MUAKS... those who have meet her recently would know she loves to give blow kisses.. loud ones keke... she also like to hug us, especially from the back.. sweet

She is really walking around, hardly crawling now... I think I managed to get a video of her crawling during her lunar birthday just for keeps, for I doubt she will ever crawl anymore. Her shoes has a parking lot at our shoes mat for its dirty now :( and she MUST wear her shoes everyday.

Bf has taken a back seat now, no longer on demand but at least once or twice a day. Though she sucks me dry sometimes when she sleep but what the heck. We started giving fresh milk for her tea now.. not too bad. She no longer keeps food in her mouth like a chipmunk and started to spit out the foods if her mouth is full. Eats strawberry and grapes as whole with skins, no longer need to cut into smaller pieces. Even fruits like apple and pears, I will give it to her in halves without skins and she will slowly bite her way. She eats her veggies, I mean I give her the leaves to show her what veggies are. I don't hide her greens...

She can't sleep through... yet.. not everyday lar... if she sleeps longer than 4 hrs I panick and check on her keke.. there are days she crashes 8 hours and my boobs will be bursting and I WAKE her .. no win situation manz. She sleeps like from 930-10pm to the next morning 10am, though there are days she wakes up at some unforgiving timing like 6-7 am... we just switch the TV, let her watch MTV or DVD and we tell her we wanna sleep. So she will sit between us and watch for about an hour and she will tap me or DD T. Then either I latch her or DD will pat her back to sleep. This one I got no complains... I was told I'm looking younger than I was in the past coz I guess I get great sleeps regularly :)

Cny 2 (II)

after we played her birthday game.. we got changed

it was off to Ben & Jerry's to have her 1st ice cream... as promised by Daddy T

creamy vanilla.. I love their vanilla coz it has heaps of fresh vanilla pods... not essence like most places... but then again I think I'm the fussy one..

YUMMY!!!

DD T ordered fries for her since her birthday lunch was a flop... so she gets 2 treats!!

then the father decides to teach her to eat fries with ice cream!!! but she held her fries in a wrong way..

I WILL BE BACK!!!

Oh well its only the birthday that she gets the treats... am so slowing her intake of sugar as this child is already so active... Coz I realised that she doesn't take her nap if I give her treats like raisins, cranberries, apricots and fresh fruits and her biscuits.. totally charged up!! There was this time all she had was a 1/2 hr nap for the whole 12 hours awake!!! Not forgetting my gal is the over achiever as she will keep her practicing whatever she is planning to achieve, so on normal days its already bad can you imagine her with sugar??

Then slowly the family realizes it themselves and is too helping me not give her sugar... so its either fruits OR dried fruits OR what ever they intend to sneak her. I believe they too get worried when the little one don't sleep.... coz this little one can go on and on and on and on...

her 1st angbao

she woke up.. we gave her her 1st angbao of the cny and......

CNY 2 day

her lunar birthday falls on the 2nd day of CNY....

Since everyone was free and there wasn't any visiting, we decided to celebrate for her...

waiting for her birthday meal
her mee sua with egg..
chicken drumstick
she decided to feed the drumstick to the dogs and ate 2 bites of her mee sua = flopped birthday lunch

in the end we had to feed her our foods.. so its bua keluak with rice for lunch, which we were surprised coz she actually enjoyed it.

Then since we started the day with such a chinese manner.. we continued with the birthday game... (the power of forum coz I never knew such things exists, coz none of us celebrated lunar birthdays) anyway, just for the fun of it right?

GUESS WHAT SHE CHOSE??

Birthday Game

抓周准备的物品清单（每条只须一件即可）以及每项物品所代表的职业与意义：

1. 字典或词典 ( dictionary)：代表文学家或科学家，有知识的人才。( Scientist, someone of knowledge)

2. 书、笔 ( Book, Pen)：具有制定意味，代表书法家、文人、文职工作( Writer, Clerk)

3. 尺( Ruler)：具有尺度的意味，代表律师、法官、革命家。( Lawyer, Judge)

4. 计算器、算盘 ( Calculator, Abacus)：代表商家或生意人。 ( Businessmen)

5. 金、钱、信用卡、玉、钻( Gold, Cash, Credit Card, Jade, Diamond)：代表富有之意，日后可成为银行家、善于储蓄的富翁或有钱人。( Rich Person, Banker)

6. 印章 ( Stamp Chop)：代表官位或官权。 ( Political Person/ Government)

7. 彩色纸、彩色粘土、水彩盒、彩色笔 ( Colour paper, Paint Brush)：代表艺术家。( Artist)

8. 毛线团、布料 (Roll of thread, Cloth)：代表服装设计师( Fashion Designer)

9. 乒乓球拍、网球拍、高而夫球 ( Golf Ball, Tennis Racket)：代表体育相关职业。( Sports career)

10. 笛子、CD、录音带 ( Musical Instrument)：代表音乐家。( Musician)

11. 筷子、铲子( Chopsticks, Wok)：代表厨师、饭店业者。( Chef, Hotelier)

12. 小鞋子 ( Shoes)：代表旅行家、探险家( Traveler, Explorer)

13.听诊器、棉签、纱布 ( Stereoscope, Syringe)：代表医生、护士类。( Doctor, Nurse)

14.鼠标 ( Mouse)：代表IT业 ( IT line)

15.润肤霜、口红 ( Moisturize, Lipstick)：代表爱美，在乎自己的容貌 ( Beautician)

16.玩具汽车 Toy Car)：有车族、司机 ( Driver)

17.手机 ( Handphone)：代表通讯 ( Communication career)

18.螺丝刀 ( Screwdriver)：工程师、工业 ( Architect)

we obviously didn't put all... coz when the last time I went to trim my fringe at my in law's neighbour, she told me she chose a comb and she became a hair dresser *--* of course she is a rich hairdresser boss but in the end we decided to keep the game simple. haha

then as I'm writing this post I just remembered... gotta pick 4 D numbers right? The result of no gamblers in the house... k if i can remember to do so this saturday since its a big birthday bash for all right? so the birthday luck still stands.. stay tuned to the numbers!!!

CNY

here are some photos from her 1st chinese new year visiting

pretty in pink..
before our start of visiting.. nice and fresh
bambam with her ang bao
we went visiting 6 houses...
her 1st lo hei
wondering what the hell was going on
the last house at 10pm... drained and fat from the rubbish we have been getting.. oh and bloated not forgetting the amount aerated drinks we had...
her 2nd lo hei
trying the crackers
her collections
and the bua keluak for supper... the one that triggered mummy flo's labour last year...

So I never liked CNY and was never around for all of it when I was working except for the year after my wedding "to show face" then the next I didn't have to go as I was due and this year to "show" BB[V] off.. CNY has become more taxing as there is the extra logistics-VICTORIA there was the meals, naps, weather to take in consideration and by the 5th house she was all cranky and upset... and we were all cranky and upset.. haha

but overall she behaved well and she had fun (I think) .. next year is terror two, and I wonder how to deal with it.. holiday perhaps??

12 months

she is 8.5kg and 73.5cm

She has come to "adulthood" like toddling around, eating our foods, shaking her head spitting things she dislikes and nodding her head when it tastes real good. Since birth it has been the one kind of character; the full of shit one.. so as she grows its has been an increasing increase of her nonsense though everybody tells me she is damn cool that her personality is so distinct.. (eh cool? not so for the parents) We can't lie to her, anything you know... she watches us intently at the things we do, can't hid food or go disappearing... so its real tough for everyone.

There was this time in the restaurant, Grandma Ng was drinking cranberry juice and so we allowed her to try a little. But she decided to drink a good 1/4 glass of it and so Grandma took the glass away and hid it behind a drink menu placard... her eyes were looking at what was going on and when daddy T adjusted the placard a little.. she knew it and started to kick up a big fuss .. IN THE RESTAURANT

She clearly communicates her likes and dislikes.. like if is watching her DVD and doesn't like the part/song she will grumble or even throw up a fit... she totally hates sudden brakes, too fast a turn or those spiral carparks that is endless... I must pre emp her emos... very taxing manz... We were in KKH for her review for her eye and spent 2 hrs cause a simple checkup that can be done easily in 5 mins had to take 20 mins. The Dr tried all sort of gadgets and means to check her eyes but all failed, though the Dr and nurse was very impressed by how smart she was - coz she had one eye closed and the other one open big to see the gadgets and toys they were trying to attract her with. I was shagged by the time the completed all the tests...

Its impossible to leave her alone for a while for she creates havoc

Happiness is when DD leaves the tissue box on the bed.. and MM is in the shower

and ransacking my own bag to find my greatest love.. wet tissues.

or doing SPA when mummy leaves a bowl of strawberry yogurt lying around while she goes to take my water bottle

There are alot more nonsense just that there wasn't a camera readily available or that I am in no mood to capture it.... If ONE years old was like that, what is terror two?

Lunar New Year (reunion dinner)

this is her 1st lunar new year... n she gets the best leg in da house!

Ms Waddle

Birthday party photos

here are some photos from her 1st birthday party...