Goodbye 2008! Hello 2009!

Bye 2008! We spent the last day of the year with friends over a BBQ dinner. In a couple more hours, we are a year older. 31 December seems to get mellower each year. 10 years ago, I partied the night away probably very intoxicated by the time the new year is here. 5 years ago, it was with Simon and now it's with our 2 lovely babies.

Raphael takes the top spot for 'The Best in 2008', having him with us is the best thing in the year. Their laughter, smiles, Chloe's non stop chattering, Raphael's babbles are all the wonderful things we enjoyed everyday. So where's the 'Worst List'? See, isn't it good to be forgetful cos you only remember all the good times and forget the moments when you feel like tearing out your hair.

On the way to the party, Raphael getting ready to be stripped in his car seat. This is also in the 'The Best in 2008' list. Chloe screamed, cried and fight her way out of this car seat each time she is buckled in 2 years ago so imagine my relief when Raphael loves his 'throne'.

Uh-oh... Not very happy and willing to take a picture. Diaper change, milk and nap in order.

Chloe happily entertaining with Cranston's keyboard. She loves singing and musical instrument now and out of the blue you will hear her going 'Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do' at the top of her voice or humming a tune as she plays her drum, guitar or xylphone. There's never a dull moment with her around, 5th on the list.

A little treasure she found in the toy chest, binoculars. And she goes around spying on her friends.

Here's the chef in action, cutting our ribeye for dinner. Yum!

3 women in the kitchen, 1 helping out, 2 helping themselves to the food laying around. That's me and Vanessa checking out the fishballs, otak otak and kuehs.

Hello Dog! Chloe calls him 'Dog'. This handsome guy is Ruski and he is a really sweet chap who lets the kids boss him around.

Hello 2009! May the year be filled with happiness, laughter and all good health to all.

Christmas

Merry Christmas! This year we lugged our Christmas tree from the storeroom and assemble it, I guess no more real trees after the 'shedding' we had last year. No big parties this year, we went to church and had a nice dinner with friends. And yes, it's Raphael's 1st Christmas and Chloe's 3rd.

The tree which we set up in lightning speed while the 2 little ones are having their nap.

Raphael celebrating his first Christmas.

Guess who got the most presents? Chloe is good at ripping off wrappers now. No boxes are too big or ribbons too tight for her.

See what I meant? What's next?

Taking a break from all the unwrapping. It's hard work. :) You got to work for your pressies, girl.

Novena Church. We take a picture at the Nativity display every year since 2006. Oops! Only the back of Raphael's head.

I was comparing this shot with what we took last year and she has grown so much taller. She tried to climb inside this year to pat the sheep and we got to keep reminding her that these are props not like the ones in the zoo.

What a tree! Bears!

A picture with Simon in the hotel lobby

Feasting! Oysters, lobsters and all the yummy desserts. Yes, I normally check out the dessert section first.... hmmm.

'C'mon mummy, are you done yet?'

Raphael taking a break with Henry

Dim sum, Mickey and airplanes

The title says it all. We had a yummy dim sum lunch, gobbled up the last siew mai before dashing off to T3 to meet Mickey Mouse. Disappointment. They issued tickets an hour before the session for you to take a snap shot with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, so that is what a 'Meet & Greet' is. By the time we reached, we can't even see the end of the queue.

Since we are not the privileged 100 people, the next best place to get a glimpse of Mickey and Minnie Mouse is next to the stage. Probably the first and the last time. Crowd, is definitely not my thing, no countdowns or super warehouse sales for me. I fear being trapped in a sea of sweaty and smelly bodies. Eww...

Walking to the restaurant, looking forward to their buns and noodles.

Cheers! 4 very satisfied and happy people

The tots with their daddies

Enjoying a train ride

The very happy passengers

Isn't this great? No crowds and we snapped to our hearts content. Pose! More! Bring it on!

My favorite! Mickey Mouse.

Just for fun while waiting for Simon to grab dinner on the way home. Raphael taking the wheels, 18 years time.

Mornings are.... fun!

Good morning! I love mornings. That's when I wake up smelling of pee and poo and my drool....hmmm and mummy will give me a nice warm bathe. Now this is the best part, I get a nice body massage and my baby yoga. Mummy will sing silly rhymes while stretching and twisting me, I love it. 'Toes to nose, toes to nose, tri-la lalala...' and 'Left hand to right foot, left hand to right foot, tooty too-too-too...'

Then I go up to our playroom and I do my dozens of flipping and rolling. I can flip from both sides and from tummy to back vice versa. Let me see, I think it has been more than 2 weeks ago and mummy is so proud of me. Pish..Pish... She says not to tell Chloe that I am a little faster than her. Smile!

And Chloe will always find a chance to carry me. Mummy only allows her to carry me when seated on the bed, she says Chloe is not ready to carry me around. Hmm... looking at the way she carries her rabbit, I'm not sure if I want her to.

Of course, mummy will find something to entertain herself. Today, I'm in Chloe's Miss Lala sunnies. I'm way too cool.

Next up, Dr. Cookie Monster. I think this taste better than my fingers. Is there some left over cookie crumbs on it?

I pack a punch too. Don't mess with me.

Let me listen to your heartbeat. Tum-tum, tum-tum... Take 2 cookies a day for a great day.

Well again.... almost

2 days after her fall. All fine and bubbly, ready to conquer the world and she did. Her playroom....

All the crushing and banging and her shouts of 'Mummy! Help me!' brought me dashing to the room to find her pulling the container out with all her might. This is her new hide and seek place. So she thinks she's small enough or probably able to twist and bend and fit into that little space.

Very satisfied and happy with her new hideout. Hmm.... dad is not going to find me here, yah. Hee...ee.

Chloe off the bed

'Four little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
No more monkeys jumping on the bed'

Know this rhyme?

I fell off the bed, painful

Chloe had an accident yesterday, she fell off the bed while jumping on it. She had been warned, threatened, scolded but none worked. I've so patiently explained to her why she should not be jumping on the bed, how she might fall off like the monkeys, how painful it will be. It goes straight in from one ear and out the other but what to expect from a 2 year old who recently discovered that mummy's bed is another huge trampoline.

I had Raphael in my arms ready to sit down to nurse him and get ready for bedtime. Chloe was getting Plopper (her plush dog) from the bed and I said 'NO JUMPING!' before I sat down on the chair. The next moment, a loud thud and she's on the floor bawling her eyes out.

Simon rushed in and we tried to calm her down and check for injuries. Other than her left shoulder, she seems to be fine. She was yelping in pain when I left her left arm. Sigh. That begins our ordeal of sleepless night. Every time she turns, she yelps in pain and would wake up crying before falling asleep again. We decided that it would be better to bring her in for an X-ray to make sure no bones are broken.

So today, we were at the A&E of Mount Elizabeth hospital to take an X-ray. Chloe was prep before hand that the doctor is going to 'take a picture of her bones' and the sweetener is that she is going shopping for her Christmas presents after that. So throughout the whole car ride, she was happily going 'I'm going shopping! Buy present!' Pain? What pain!?

We managed to get her X-ray taken with all the crying and whining with Simon accompanying her. The result - a teeny weeny crack on her left clavicle. Ouch! It's going to take a week to heal and no sling is needed. Self-heal.

No more monkeys jumping on the bed.

Kids Kampong

We visited a 'commercialized' kampong today, a far cry from my real kampong days during my childhood times in Punggol. I missed my kampong days, where play means climbing trees and swimming in the big fish pond. For $14, you get a pail and a fishing net, 2 small packet of multi-purpose animal feed (from kois to rabbits), a cup of ice-cream and a bottle of water.

The kids had a great time being 'Old Macdonald' for a day feeding the animals and trying to catch their longkang fish.

Chloe dipping her fishing net into the longkang, waiting for the fish to jump inside. Ha, you wait. Dear dad immediately showed his little girl the art of catching longkang fish.

There... the first one. And Chloe has the honor of tipping it into the pail.

'Tap, tap, tap. Go inside.'

Hard at work, the mummies having their share of fun

15 mins later

Quack, quack, quack

The very hungry and greedy kois. They created a big splash swimming right up to the landing area.

Kampong version of the Little Tikes playhouse.

Chloe had fun feeding the chickens, putting the little pellets in one by one.

The rabbits! Her favorite animal now cos of her plush toy rabbit at home. She tried to climb over the bars to pet them, 'Mummy, I want this. We buy.' No!

2 very hot and sweaty tots.

Fishing competition. We get to keep our catch but all of us poured the fish back cos they might have a longer lives in here rather than back home. And if you choose not to bring your fish home, you get a little souvenir.

Saying goodbye to the little fish one last time