Dong Dong Chiang!

We celebrated 圆宵节(last day of the Lunar New Year) over the weekend and with that, we say goodbye to 15 days of endless feasting and stuffing of faces with kueh bangkits.

One of my two favourite time of the year –Chinese New Year!  The other being Christmas.  Unlike Christmas which for me is a time to reflect on the closing of yet another year and give thanks for His blessings, Chinese New Year is all about feasting, family gatherings, lion dance, boisterous laughter, getting the house spring-cleaned, buying new clothes (and jammies -  very important tradition in the koh family) and more feasting! 

I didn’t really enjoy Chinese New Year last year – cos Jules was in the midst of a nursing strike – and I was naturally all stressed up seeing my 3 month old daughter not wanting to drink.  Thank God all that is behind us and this year, not only did I get to enjoy my New Year, I think our little pumpkin had a time of her life too! Dressing up in pretty cheongsams, partying from the eve of the New Year to Day 2, seeing all her cousins, yiyis and uncles who showered her with so much attention – all vying to win the ‘favourite uncle’ title, receiving lots of ang pows – what’s there not to like!  She also got to tossed yu-sheng with us (with her very own chopsticks no less) and was truly happy to have Mama and Papa spend the long weekend with her!  She was a trooper, going places with us on the first day and enduring long rides restrained in her car seat – let’s just say crayons, coloring pads and dried raisins are a life-saver!

Over the 15 days, she was happy to go for dinners with us, toss more yu-sheng and get up to mischief with her cousin Sophie who she absolutely adores (it is really very sweet to see her always wanting to hug Sophie).

Here’re some of my favourite shots taken over the festive holiday! Hope everyone is off to a wonderful year of the water snake!

Reunion Meals

1st Day of Chinese New Year!

Dong Dong Chiang! 

Dong Chiang Dong!! 

春

Spring is in the Air

After a year's hiatus - cos Jules was all but 2 months old when Chinese New Year came around last year - we found ourselves back to take in some of that Chinese New Year festivities with the little one in toll this year. 

Of course, she doesn't understand what Chinese New Year is, but I think she was just happy to be out with everyone on a Friday night and was rather fascinated by that long golden snake that lit up the streets of Chinatown! 

Here's some of my favourite shots from last evening's little excursion. 

Looking up at the golden snake

Outside the 年糕 shop

Trying to get her hands on those mandarins

I'm just glad I still do these things we my folks till today

The only thing that she recognised - a stall selling balloons

Hello Mr Snake

Us and or cheeky little monkey

Letters to Julianne #20

Dearest Julianne,

This is you. At 15 months.  Still quite a peanut but a very cute peanut at that with a personality that is on its way to earning you the nickname “chilli padi”.

I'm 15 months!

Yes, you are a “chilli padi” – don’t go around deceiving everyone with that sweet innocent smile – when you’ve started to throw naughty tantrums at home and screaming on the top of your voice when you don’t get what you want (usually, it’s the ice cold glass of ribena sitting next to your boring bowl of chicken porridge).  You do that whole screaming thing complete with feet stomping action – I don’t know where you learnt it from.  It’s terrible.  Papa and I think it’s time to give you your own naughty corner in the house and get down to disciplining you.      

You enjoy having your independence and have learnt to self feed with a fork your meals of pasta cos that's dry and easier for you to manage.  You'll get to feeding yourself porridge and macaroni soup soon enough.  You are also completely pleased with yourself when you successfully undress yourself and throw your own diaper into the bin and your dirty clothes into the laundry basket.  Yes - you have mastered the drill.  I only wished you could be just as independent when it came to your sleeping patterns and learn to fall asleep by yourself and not pointing to Papa and Mama's bed at 3am wanting to come over to snuggle with us.

Everyone at home is thrilled that you can now take instructions almost perfectly - especially Yiyi Sam and Por Por - cos that now means they can send you out to do things for them; like pull them a piece of tissue or take the remote control from the table.  You get lots of hugs and kisses in return for the little tasks you complete! 

Some cousin-loving going on there

You're picking things up at an incredible speed which makes us at home very mindful of the things we say or do because we don't want you picking up bad habits from us.  Everyday, I come home to stories of what you've been up to with Por Por and I can't help but be filled with Mama pride every time Por Por tells me about your little achievements throughout the day no matter how small it may be.  These days, we also spend about 5 minutes on the phone chit-chatting over lunch while Mama is at work.  I love hearing your jabbers over the phone, it's like you're trying to speak like how grown-ups speak - in fast, long unbroken sentences.  On that note, you are entering the parroting stage - imitating the words we say - and are incredibly chatty.  You can go on on a monologue for minutes, peppered with lots of funny facial expressions and punctuated with high and low pitch - I have to say it's very entertaining to watch.  Your comprehension amazes me really - it scares us sometimes the things you show you understand when we exchange conversations amongst ourselves.  Here's a video of you and your many expressions.    

In a months' time, we're sending you off to Montessori playschool for a couple of half-days a week.  We hope you'll learn to make friends and be a friend, learn to develop your creativity and pick up new skills that we may not have the resources to teach you as well at home.  Your Papa and I believe sending you out of the house will do you some good.  

Here are some of your favourites at 15 months:

Pastime: dancing to Hi-5 songs

Food: macaroni soup and aglio olio pasta

Vegetable: cauliflower and corn

Book: bear feels sick by karma wilson

Snack: dried raisins 

Time of the day: when we put on your sleep sack and plant you with lots of goodnight kisses

A sweet moment with Gong Gong

We have quite an exciting February awaiting us with Chinese New Year just round the corner!  Yes, that's when you get to put the "Gong Xi Gong Xi" action to some use! 

Happy 15th month Jujubee! You'll always be Mama's little baby even though you're growing up so fast.   

Lots of love, 

Mama