Happy CNY 2009

Chinese New Year is here. It's time to celebrate and eat non-stop for the next 15 days.

As usual we will be having a big reunion dinner the night before followed by many, many more other lunches / dinners before the end of the CNY. Since marriage, my CNY itinerary is the same, year in, year out.

2 days before CNY
Dinner with my parents in laws and all hubby's siblings (that would be my sister in law and brother in law) and their families.

1 day before CNY
Reunion dinner with my parents in law and brother in law and family (My sister in law would have gone back to her hubby's hometown).

On CNY
Will visit my parents in law in the morning. Then we will head to my aunt's house before heading back to my in laws for dinner.

2nd day of CNY
We will gather at my on law's place at 8.30 - 9.00 pm. Will visit 3 close relatives together with my them and my brother in law's family. According to hubby, they have been doing this as long as he can remember. We will then have lunch in one of the relatives' house. After lunch, we will be heading back home where I will be spending the next hour or so packing as we will be going back to my hometown to celebrate CNY with my side of the family. The journey back to Teluk Intan will take 2.5 hours and we usually arrive before dinner. Will be spending a few days there before coming back to Kuala Lumpur.

This year, everything is like clock work - except, it's Caitlin's first and she's still having rashes on her face, flu and mild fever. She vommited 30 minutes before arriving Teluk Intan. Her car seat s soaked and she's one smelly baby. She was a bit cranky and we had to start her on antibiotics. Otherwise, we have loads of fun there and it was good to see and catch up with each and every family members. One of the highlights is the celebration of Aunt Cloe's 55th birthday which falls on 4 February and Uncle TC's 60th birthday on 14 February.

It is good to be back. I'm happy to see that everyone is happy, healthy and enjoying themselves.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and may the year of the Ox brings you and your family joy, health and wealth.

Ryan's doodles

Caitlin and her red spots

It started with a few spots and by the next day, her face was covered with over 30 red dots. Of course we panic and immediately sent her to the doctor. Dr Kwan think that she's having a skin reaction but at that point in time could not determine the root cause. The good new is that she did not have a temperature.

I was on a 4-day course (from 19 to 21 January 2009) and could not take leave to take care of her. Creche is definitely out of the question. Hubby is only on the worst case scenario as his company is implementing cost cutting measure which includes having shut downs every quarter and he will be forced to take leave and if one's leave is exhausted, then they will have to be on unpaid leave.

Fortunately Aunt Jo came to the rescue. She offered to take leave and took good her of her for the next 2 days. By the third day, her spots have subside considerably and the creche is able to accept her.

Thank God for Aunt Jo and we hope that Caitlin will recover in time for her first Chinese New Year.

New potted plants for new homes

Aunt Jo and my brother Jimmy are in the midst of renovating their homes and both can now see the light at the end of the tunnel (for Jimmy it was after months and months of headache with his contractor).

Both of them have requested for a few potted plants from me which I am more than delight to provide. Am spreading more greens around !!!

Exploring with my camera

Went for a walk with my camera in tow and took some of these photos. Love them. It's interesting how normal everyday things which you take for granted look so different behind the lens.

Ryan's 1st day in school

It's for real now and Ryan started Primary 1 on 5th January 2009. It was good that he went for the 3-week introduction specially for Primary 1 wannabes last December, so school is not so scary for him. We bought him 5 sets of school uniform for Mondays until Friday. Although we wash his uniform everyday, we do not think we have the energy to iron it everyday and hence the need to have 5 sets as ironing will be a once a week affair. Same goes for his school socks, he got 5 pairs as well.

We got him a new school bag. He needs a trolley bag as we have been forewarn that there will be tonnes and tonnes of school books. He get to choose one and ended up with a Ben-10 school bag which set his parents back by RM100.

He is in afternoon session and I took half day leave just to see how he's coping. I was with him right up to recess. The class teacher is a young lady named Ms Wong. She reassign their sitting positions and Ryan is seated third row from the front, with a girl, but more importantly, right under the fan !!.

He's doing okay. Well....it's only the first day.

Caitlin: 5 months

In a blink of an eye, Caitlin is now 5 months old; at least that is how I feel.
We will be busy preparing for Chinese New Year which falls on 26th of this month and it will be her first; more excuses to shop for her.

She's adorable in her own ways, very energetic and has a fiery temper!!! She will fuss if you are late in giving her milk and she will drink when she wants to drink and if she refuses, no amount of coaxing will do the trick.

She developed a very bad habit recently. She will be happily drinking but will automatic refuse and stop sucking when there's only 1 ounce of milk left. I have no idea how she knows when to stop but she has been doing that for the past few days. Hope she will grow out of it soon so that I can stop secretly giving Ryan her leftovers.

36th Birthday

Celebrated my 36th birthday with my loved ones. I'm one year older and certainly much, much wiser. Feeling good and counting my blessings everyday.

Shirley's Goals: January 2009

What I'm up to this month?

1. Have the "monthly meeting" with hubby sometime 2nd week of January to plan for family related activities for the month.
2. I will go the the gym after work and for a start, it will be at least once a week with plans to increase in the future. For January 2009, I must make sure that I "check-in" for at least 4 sessions.
3. I desperately need to go for my facial.
4. Sign Ryan up for his swimming lessons, which is long, long overdue.
5. I'll be looking forward to celebrate Chinese New Year towards the end of the month. Besides the normal preparation, I plan to get new deco for the house.
6. Learn a new dish.
   
7. Read and review a book.
8. Takes more photos and post them up in my Flickr.