Chinese New Year Gatherings : Feb-14

Delicious Reunion Dinner - My part about CNY which I enjoy most.

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This year, the first 2 days of Chinese New Year crosses over from January to February, a rare occurrence which happens like every 19 years?  It is another great year of celebration and we seem to get better in covering more places during these 2 days of public holidays.

First budgie egg not successful hatched : Feb-14

 Zaan first egg - Link

After laying her final egg for the first batch of production, Zaan decided that she might want to try hatching that egg.  So, instinctively she spent the next twenty or more days in the tiny wooden box, hatching her only egg.  Just like any parent, her partner or 'hubby' waited anxiously outside the box while occasionally peeked to see how Zaan was doing.  Towards the last few day, he finally cannot endure the loneliness and squeezed his way into the box to accompany Zaan.  I supposed we were anticipating the baby bird as much as its parents.  Normally, a budgie egg would hatch between 16 to 20 days.  So, after the 16th day, we were monitoring closely daily, hoping for a pleasant surprise.  Day after day, the baby bird did not arrive.  Finally and sadly, on the 22th day of continuously sitting on the egg, Zaan broke the egg and threw it out the box.  Our curious Qiqi then investigated the broken egg, disappointingly, the egg was half hatched, fetus of the baby bird did not form well.  Nevertheless, good job to Zaan!  Her motherly instinct truly impressed us and we were very sure she would be successful in the very near future.

Green Screen Fun during CNY : Feb-14

"Wealth and happiness is when you know how to share what you have with the people around you" by Victor Koh...  Haha.. So, for this year's CNY, I took out my new toys in 2013 and shared it with my relatives, the green screen and studio lights!  I had also connected the printer to instantly print out the photos for them.  It was great fun!  From simple nice family photos to extreme photoshop pictures... fantastic CNY gathering, at least I had enjoyed myself very much.

Xuan's CNY horse head : Jan-14

The coming Chinese New Year is the year of the horse.  Having taken the role as the head of publication, Xuan decided to make a horse head to decorate her class.  Gathering all recycled cardboard available at home, Xuan creatively form them into a beautiful horse head shape.   Everyone in the family then spurred into actions and contributed their little part to the horse head.

Enen tearing newspapers while Qi and Xuan stick them to the head.

Xuan drying the head with hair dryer

Proud with her art piece

 

Adding color to the head

Now the hair

Me helping out with the eyes.

Finally the lashes by Shin Yang

Xuan Enters Secondary School!! : Jan-14

My little Xuan is finally attending secondary school!! And together with her dajie. At least for this one year. Looking at her in her secondary school uniform and standing beside her dajie, I have to admit that she is a big girl now, almost catchin up with her dajie!!

I fondly recall how for the longest period of time, I thought Xuan was my petite lil' girl who never seemed to outgrow her frocks or pjs, when I always had to buy new sets for Qi.. I also recall how for the longest period of time, I always had to shield Xuan's little head from knocking into side mirrors of cars when we snaked our way in the carparks.. Similarly, for the longest period of time, Xuan has always been in primary school and HIPS is synonymous to Xuan's school! I mean, Xuan had been in HIPS even before I stopped working, and mind you, I had stopped working for almost five long years!! That is a very long time, isn't it?

Yeah.. anyway, I did not feel so emotional about this until I walked down the stairs from the HIPS school hall after leaving En there, and realized that there is no Xuan for me to pounce onto in that compound anymore.

Therefore as my younger gals get used to their new schools and new environment, their mummy similarly has to get used to the idea of them in their new schools, with their new schedules of longer hours away from home, away from mummy! So for now, it's home alone, mummy!!

En's First Day of Primary School : Jan-14

At long last, En is entering primary school!! Being the youngest and never been in a childcare centre where the lil' ones learn to be independent, to merely say I am rather worried, is a gross understatement. To be frank, I do not think I had this kind of butterflies in my stomach when Qi or Xuan began their primary school education journey; I do not quite understand why the anxiety now, with my no. 3!!?

All I can say is I shall pray, and continue to pray for En until my discomfort goes away. A friend said, "En is a survivor, you don't have to worry about her!" I really want to believe her.. Maybe it is juz that I am getting older and hence more easily anxious? Guess only time will tell.. if my worries have any ground! (^_^)

"生蛋节” : Dec-13

This X'mas was a special one for everyone in the family as there was a pleasant surprise.  Our budgies, after a couple of years, finally dropped her first egg in the cage.  Xuan was excited to see this for her first time too.  As the bird started her first egg and subsequently laid a few more (heard can be up to 6), we did not managed to keep the eggs intact nor the budgie demonstrated any maternity instinct.  Well, I did not expect any hatching eventually but it was a nice experience.

Papa Birthday Dinner : Dec-13

On the last day of 2013, we threw a birthday celebration dinner for Papa for his 71st birthday, really enjoyable way to end the year together with close relatives.