random musings

Happy 3rd Birthday, Linus!

2011-06-22T21:57:00.001-07:00

Dear Linus,
Thank you for being the sweet, sensitive and loving little guy in our lives.
You have grown to be more independent in the past year, took an interest in drawing, developed your speaking abilities and triumped in being potty-trained.
You will start a new chapter in your life as you begin Pre-school this year and we look forward to sharing in your new adventures and discoveries!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

A random conversation with Lucas

2011-05-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

Lucas: Where is your Mommy?
Me: She is in Heaven with God.
Lucas: What is she doing with God?
Me: Maybe she is having tea.
Lucas: You cannot see her?
Me: No. Everyone dies. I was very sad when she died. Because I cannot see her anymore.
Lucas: She didn't have food?
Me: No. She was sick. Very sick.
Lucas: Can I have more green bean soup?

The demise of Lucas' beloved "Ta-Ta".

2011-03-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

Born: April 2007
Departed: March 2011

Dear Ta-Ta,

You have lived a colorful life. Travelled to many countries and cities with me. On a ship, an airplane, train rides and countless rides in the car. You have enjoyed a life full of great experiences, mostly in my arms.

You have been a wonderful mate, sleeping partner, comforting presence and great company to enjoy my fingers with.

I will miss pulling your ears and poking my fingers into your torn head. I will miss the excitement of seeing you at bed-time. I will miss your wonderful smell made more appealing by my own salivation on your blue fur.

You will be dearly missed. But it's time I say good-bye to you.

I am a big boy now and I need to stop sucking my fingers. My Mommy told me there is a slug inside your head and if I keep sucking my fingers, the slug will come out from your head and into my mouth.

Bye bye, Ta-Ta. I will always love you.

Yours truly,
Lucas Fong
(an imagined speech by my Mommy dearest)

Lucas' first encounter with Ta-Ta.He begun to realise his fingers tasted good while he was holding Ta-Ta.Happy to be with Ta-Ta in his crib.Ta-Ta travels on Singapore Airlines.Ta-Ta visits the Oregon coast.Ta-Ta still has two ears.A great pillow to lean on.Bonding.Tata goes to Disneyland.Ta-Ta goes on a road trip. Even with a torn head.

Ta-Ta experiences the cold.

It's about to begin again.

2011-01-30T08:36:00.000-08:00

Edwin & partner has bought another property in Richmond, B.C. for tear-down and rebuild. After almost six months of search, this is it. 4871 Mariposa Street with a lot size of 8048 sq ft.

I can see Edwin working from dawn to dusk at Mariposa. Hello to crazy days ahead.

A Wiggles fan

2011-01-29T19:42:00.000-08:00

Untitled from Serene Ho on Vimeo.

I thought it apt to begin my first posting of 2011 with a video which is making me smile and giggle.

In memory of my Mother

2010-11-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

On this day, 19 years ago, I used my handkerchief to wipe off the white foam coming out from my Mother's mouth. She laid lifeless on the hospital bed. The same bed she had spent months lying on, repeating tests after tests. The room had four beds, but it was quiet that evening, leaving only my Mother in the room, as if it was preparing for her exit from this world. I remember grief, sadness, anger and confusion. What happened after was a blur. I didn't have tears during the funeral. It was at the cremation that my pain became pronounced. I cried so much I don't think I heard a word of what anyone said.

Each time I recall the events of that fateful evening, the same grief and pain returns to me. The tears flow and my heart aches because I miss her so much.

My Mother was a beautiful woman. She was a fashionable lady and a fantastic cook. Despite spending half of her life battling Lupus, stricken to machines and heavy dosages of medication, she kept a smiling face as much as she could. There were days of distress when she could not tolerate her loss of bowel control, days of anguish when she felt incapacitated. But I still do remember her smile, even as she walked around the house, hooked up to a dialysis bag.

At the end of her battle with the disease, she had lost almost all her hair, and lost so much weight that her bones were protruding. The pain of seeing her in this state is too much to bear. I choose to remember her when she had a head full of beautiful hair, smiling at us as she stands in the kitchen, stirring up a wok of food. I choose to remember the days we spent helping her make pineapple tarts and watching her sew our New Year dresses.

It's hard to believe it has been 19 years. I often think about how my life would have been different if my parents did not leave us so early in our lives. Now that I am a Mother, my heart aches for my two sons who will never get a chance to know their maternal Grandparents and to find out what wonderful people they are.

On my Mom's 30th Birthday My sister & I were wearing dresses sewn by my Mom.

Of love and beautiful people

2010-10-28T23:10:00.000-07:00

Singapore - September 2010 from Serene Ho on Vimeo.

Just when I wanted to fast forward, I found myself rewinding to this super cute video!

2010-10-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

Fast forward

2010-10-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

Wife and new love - a complex love triangleLucas loves to swim Sleepover
Superheroes!

Mandarin class at Scott Creek Middle School

I am a month behind in my blogging life. In an attempt to move ahead to the present, here's a quick summary.

So, Edwin bought a new camera in Singapore. He now carries her everywhere he goes and spends hours in front of the computer, learning how he can be a better person. Oops, sorry, I meant better operator of his new machine.

Lucas begun his Swim Tots 2 class this fall. He loves it. I started to bring Linus with me into the water as well whilst Lucas is in class. By the time I am done showering them both and myself, getting changed and getting them strapped into their car seats, I felt I needed a tub of ice-cream. I settled for a bottle of chocolate milk. Thank goodness.

Being the 'kiasu' mother that I am, I registered Lucas at the Vancouver Academy of Music. I think I did that when he was two years old. Gasp. What if he is a prodigy or perhaps he is going to be a late bloomer like his father. I felt the need to give him the opportunity to learn music. I wanted to provide him with the experiences I had when I was a child. Just as long as he continues to enjoy it.

Lucas is now attending Mandarin class on Saturdays. Another affirmation that he is all grown up. The children sit in a classroom setting, facing the teacher with a blackboard to her back. His legs barely reaching the floor, head peering above the table, he sits with his 'Batman' lunch bag and little haversack of one book and two pencils. I am a whole baggage of mixed emotions just looking at him.

Lucas had his first sleepover at our home with his buddy, Jack. Superheroes and pretend-play are the highlight of a three-year-old sleepover party. I think I am a really boring parent. I don't know what to do with energetic three-year-olds on playdates and at times like these, I am thankful for the kid in Edwin.

I discovered two new pimples today. I hardly ever have these darn bums. But as you know, it's that time of the month and I can babble on and on about how my entire body, and hormonal balance has changed after having kids.

My dear friend, Jane has finally joined the great social network called FB. I love the crazy banter we have over everything from grapes to how misplaced and odd I sound as a confused immigrant lost in her own translation of a Singlish Canadian accent.

So there you go. A quick update and we have arrived to the present.

Days of growing up

2010-10-20T20:45:00.001-07:00

I secretly wish the boys will not grow up so quickly. I miss my babies.

I have been thinking about the days when they were so little I could carry them for more than ten minutes without complaining of body ache the next day. When every squeeze and cuddle will be accompanied by happy giggles and not struggles to be free from my hug (to return to more fun things).

The boys and I spent some time looking through photos and videos of them when they were younger the other day. It almost brought tears to my eyes. Ok, it's that time of the month too. But, I did feel a little sad that the boys have grown up so quickly and a part of me fear I am not doing enough for them in their childhood.

I had big dreams about how I wanted to be a mother to my children. Those dreams did not quite align with the reality of having to maintain a household, work and raise two kids at the same time. Sure, I am not making fancy picnic lunches or stitching a hand-made pillow, and the laundry has taken a permanent spot on the floor. But I am content and grateful that I can still raise my boys on my own and not miss a day in their growing years despite having to work from home.

I was trying to put together the photos of the boys here but the luxury of time is not with me today.

Ok. Time's up. Time to put the laundry away.

Singapore withdrawal symptoms

2010-10-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

1. Excessive perusal of the 3,477 photos we took in Singapore.

2. Lucas asks for Ice Milo and Chicken rice everyday the first couple of days we returned to Vancouver.

3. "I want to go to the Food Court", said Lucas.

4. "Is that the swimming complex?" said Lucas.

5. I wore shorts to go out at 16 degrees celsius. What was I thinking.

6. Mr Fong skipped a meal and felt perfectly fine. My cooking is nothing near hawker fare in Singapore. It's back to bland (but healthy), one-pot-fits-all meals.

It was a great trip. It was really good to see family and friends. And of course, what can go wrong when we are spending our days thinking about what to eat for our next meal.

We spent four weeks in Singapore with family and it was heart-breaking to leave, especially because we feel for the boys who have connected with family.

We spent about a week getting back to routine. After four days of night-waking, I was nowhere near achieving an organised home.

Now, after almost three weeks since we returned back to Vancouver, it is back to the daily grind. Cook, drive, school, work, classes, clean, sleep.

This blog is slowing coming to life again after a one month hiatus. Thank you for your patience as I was busy opening up my pores through healthy perspiration in sunny Singapore.

Here are some photos from our trip to our homeland.

Song of the month in our household

2010-08-26T23:26:00.000-07:00

"You've got a friend in me" from Serene Ho on Vimeo.

Camping at Golden Ears

2010-08-10T16:51:00.001-07:00

July 2010 - 3 days, 2 nights at Golden Ears Provincial Park

Do not attempt this at home

2010-08-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

I cringed. I nagged. As I would on many occasions when Edwin plays with the boys in the way he does. The boys seem to enjoy it. What's wrong with me?

Back in July

2010-08-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

When I found out this (above) represents his (Lucas') family.

When it was so hot in the house, the boys were happy to prance around in nothing but their underwear/diaper.

House interior photos

2010-07-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

So long, farewell

2010-06-30T09:27:00.001-07:00

In about 2 hours from now, we will be handing over the house keys of the newly-built Diamond Road house to the new owners. Edwin has been lamenting how he would miss the house. Naturally, since he had spent an average of over 12 hours a day for the past 9 months at the site/house.

He would probably feel awkward not having to spring up from bed at 6am in the morning tomorrow and sit in his car for the one-hour commute to Richmond. I was horrified when he told a friend yesterday that he can finally brush his teeth in the mornings. Yes, we share a bed and I wonder if he smells good naturally or I have been so accustomed to his "aroma" that I do not know if it would be repulsive.

For me, I am excited to finally have my husband back and someone to divert the boys' attention to. I am looking forward to some me-time, some catch-up time for my business and also to finally check off on my long to-do list.

Personally, I am very impressed with the end-product of the house construction. It's a dream come true for Edwin and I am proud of his accomplishment. I will post some photos of the completed home soon. I reckon he would be looking at them regularly for the next little while to get over his yearning.

Now what? I think I can start shopping for new floors. Yee-ha!

Happy Birthday to me

2010-06-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

I turned 33 two days ago. It was a very memorable birthday for me. A day I was touched by the enormous generosity, friendship and love of those around me. Many thoughts are running through my mind now. But I cannot find the right words to describe how I felt. It may sound cliche but no words seem sufficient to fully express how grateful I am to have such wonderful friends. Until I find the inspiration to write again, I wanted to say Thank you to everyone who have made it such a special day for me.

Of Bowties & Carnival

2010-06-21T00:37:00.000-07:00

My favourite picture (above). Linus don't often smile for the camera and I am so happy to capture this moment.

A Birthday Carnival for Linus' 2nd Birthday @ Burnaby Railway in Confederation Park.

Spring roll

2010-06-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

A new "game" Edwin introduced to the boys.

Basically, he wraps the boys up and tickles them.

He calls it "Spring roll". I call it plain torture and leave me out of it, thank you.

Almost alike but not really

2010-06-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

There are days I think the boys look almost identical and days when I look at them and there is not an ounce of resemblance. It's strange.

They do have very different personalities and it's great, but I feel like I am riding on a roller-coaster on some days. My moment of lull and peace watching Lucas do his puzzle turns to an adrenalin rush brought on by a frustrated toddler breaking down at the block that did not fit or rather did not want to stay together. Darn block.

I am beginning to appreciate the fact that they are close in age. They play really well together now and I am relieved. I can hardly sound enthusiastic after singing ring around the rosy more than once and I cannot fathom how it can be such great fun to be pretending to be Spiderman. Twirling around in a tu-tu or sitting at a pretend tea-party could perhaps garner more excitement from me. Perhaps.

Old Orchard Park

2010-06-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

Another great picture taken with the Chows in May 2010.
Old Orchard Park is less than 5 minutes from home by car and a great little place to hang out with the kids on a sunny day.

We would stand in line under pouring rain.

2010-06-07T22:31:00.000-07:00

Just so the boys can play with sand, have their faces painted and meet the banana-man.

23rd May 2010 - Vancouver International Children's Festival @ Vanier Park Spider-boy at the International Children's FestivalMy favourite picture of the day Lucas+Jack = Inseparable
The man who sang the "little boy walking in his underwear" song; a song that made its way into our household for the next week.

Linus has a fascination for puppets, dolls, stuffies and all things soft and cuddly.

Captain or Pirate of some sort

He thought he was the pirate until these two came along.

He pulls. We watch.

I don't know who was more excited.

Sand-pit of endless fun

Can someone please get the boys out now?

Lucas' first training bicycle

2010-06-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

We bought a training bicycle for Lucas recently. We have not had much opportunity to let him ride it since it's almost impossible for me to watch both the boys on wheels at the same time. Perhaps, this Summer.

Above photos taken earlier this month, shortly before KK left for Asia. We miss you!

Giddy happy over a pretty hairband

2010-06-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

Who would have known my hairband would provide such great joy to two little boys. And great pain to me when I tried to stop the great battle of who gets to wear it.

My little white pony

2010-06-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

I remember Lucas was not keen on riding on a pony last year. But at 3.5 years old, he is now confident to ride on his own for the first time. He was thrilled!

I asked him how it was after the ride and he said,

"Good. I like it. I think the pony did lots of poo poo."

Dear Linus

2010-06-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Sure, this is the 5,928th photo I have taken of you. You are entitled not to be enthused by it. At least it is three times lesser compared to the number of photos I have taken of your big brother.

Not because you are any less adorable but because I am not bolting up and jumping in excitement everytime you clapped your hands or waved at me.

You have reached so many milestones and I am so proud of you.

(1) Counting from one to ten.

(2) Feeding yourself.

(3) Climbing..yes, it is a milestone.

(4) Increasing vocabulary

Having an older brother also means you learn to speak like him, which can be quite amusing.

"Hey guys! Wait for me!" - Linus at 23 months

It was a good day

2010-05-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

Eight months after construction begun, the house at Diamond road has found a new owner. Two interested parties. One good offer. The deal was sealed yesterday, 27th May, close to midnight.

I am so proud of Edwin. This is his first house construction project and a dream come true for him. Designed and finished from stratch.

The finishing touches are still in progress and we can expect another 4 weeks of hard work. But it's great to reach this final lap and to know there is a rewarding finish line.

Cheers to a great partnership with the Lims!

On a side note, Jack and Lucas were riding in my car one day.
Jack: Where is your Daddy?
Lucas: He is very busy. He is working with his buddies in Richmond. They are building a house.

A Surprise Get-away

2010-05-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

I had an extremely stressful week prior to Mother's day. It was one of the most challenging times faced by my business since we took off seven years ago. Anyway, this post is about happier things.

Edwin came home earlier one Saturday afternoon and told me we are going to Seattle for the weekend. I was in the middle of two loads of laundry waiting to be folded and put away, the boys were getting edgy from not taking their nap in the day and I look like crap. I need one week to pack for a weekend in Seattle.

OK, so I have no time to pack my whole house into the car but do I want to be clearing work, and cleaning the house on Mother's day? No. I am so glad we went. It was a great idea, and a very memorable trip.

The boys did really well on the road and we had a most relaxing dinner and I love the hotel we stayed in. The sheets were heavenly and the room smelled great.

And of course, shopping never failed to be super therapy for my being.

And oh yes, by the way, my second surprise of the weekend was the IPad. I was stunned beyond words since Edwin was never a Mac fan. How and what convinced him. I was really curious, but never got an answer.

Dotting the map of the world..in my dreams.

2010-05-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

My mind has been wandering. It's probably a form of escapism from my present.

I have been thinking alot about travelling with the boys. I truly believe they will gain tremendously from the experience of being in a different land, in a different culture.

Sure, it will be challenging. Go when we really want to stop and stop when we really want to go. But it will all be worth it.

I love travelling. I love the feeling of waking up and not knowing what I will possibly see or experience in a new place. I love that I do not have to think about what to cook. And oh yes, I love hotel beds. I sleep very well.

I say so often that the boys are growing up too fast. I do fear it. That this sweet, innocent young boy who would run to me for a cuddle would one day ask to be left alone to his computer. I want to manifest fully into their early growing years and I think travelling with them is a great way to bond, learn, and grow their minds, and mine too.

For a start, I am really looking forward to our trip back to Singapore in September. Seeing the family would be the best experience for the boys.

This is where it happened

2010-05-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

Someone walked into this store on Mother's day and bought the iPad in less than three minutes of being acquianted to the machine. It was then wrapped in pretty pink paper and landed in my hands some 30 minutes later.

Lucas: Happy Mother's Day, Mommy.
Me: Thank you, Lucas! Wow! Is this a book? It's very heavy.

The final lap

2010-05-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

The past couple of months have been so hectic, I am almost at a loss of words where to begin on what we have been doing, not doing, how many chocolate-covered cranberries I have had in my moments of stress. Eating junk food has become a desperate indulgence for me. And of course, it was convenient. Fast and convenient.

Who cares if I am in grossly mismatched clothing, bearing a bed of uncombed hair and smelling of garlic from dinner. The kids are in bed, Edwin is still at work and I am stuck at home. I stare at my computer and click the "refresh" button on Facebook.

So it has been almost 8 months since work begun on the Diamond property. The driveway, landscaping and finishing touches are underway. I smell my freedom coming close.

The end of days feeling like I am a single mom to two extremely active toddlers, one of whom is at the peak of his glorious "terrible twos" days. These are the days of a confused toddler who cannot decide if he would like to eat cheerios or bread for breakfast and the whole world belongs to "mine".

My eyes are barely open in the mornings when Edwin changes to leave for work. I am not sure if he even brushed his teeth. Probably not. It's great he only kisses me on the forehead. My eyes are again half-open and glazed when he returns from work. Glazed, dazed, definitely small. I am convinced there is a correlation between having kids and developing eyes which look like they need some kind of boost in the form of voluminous eye mascara or triple power maximizer eyeliner.

My mommy friends would relate to having endless loads of laundry everyday. I think I fare better in this department because Edwin hardly ever changes his clothes. Why am I still married to this man?

It's the shedding season for Ms. Abby, our Golden Retriever. Cleaning the floors twice a day has just been added to my daily mountain of chores. Too bad I loathe the taste of Chicken Essence in a bottle because somebody told me that would give me lots of energy.

Maybe it is time to visit my Korean friend at the Korean Spa.
http://mortz.blogspot.com/2008/08/back-from-outer-space.html

She would give me a real boost to my flapping spirits from her vigorous scrubs and kneading. In the least, I am pretty sure I will get a good laugh.

The day their buddies left for Asia on a jet plane

2010-05-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

6th May 2010

I took the boys to the Airport to say good-bye to their buddies, Viola & Adelia, who were leaving for Singapore & Indonesia with their Mommy for 2 months.

When I told them "KK and EnEn are in this airplane!", they started to wave. It was super duper cute.

The boys miss them and I miss my daytime spouse! Hurry up with the eating, shopping and eating and shopping and come back soon!

I wait in anticipation

2010-05-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

Dear readers of this blog,

I hereby announce that you are now witness to the following declaration of what I deem to be "a promise".

Vow made on 16th May, Sunday between 6:30pm to 7:00pm.

ALL the orange carpet in the house will be removed and replaced with a new flooring within the next two months, following the sale of the Diamond property in Richmond.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Hip Hip Hooray!

Boys trying to sing a Chinese song in the car

2010-05-16T15:58:00.001-07:00

Boys singing in the car from Serene Ho on Vimeo.

What an awesome idea!

2010-05-15T23:24:00.001-07:00

Elisa & Carolyn came up with this great idea and I love it!

The cheeky faces of Linus

2010-05-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

Boy, he knew he was in trouble.

I know I shouldn't laugh but I did

2010-05-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

Me: Lucas! Come quickly. Put on your socks!
Lucas: (comes running to me) Ok Mom. Blah Blah Blah.
Me: (in shock and on the verge of bursting into laughter but managed to suppress it) Don't be rude, Lucas. Who taught you to speak like that?
Lucas: Daddy.

My kids have great fashion sense

2010-04-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

This is how the shirt should be worn in Linus' world. And don't you dare try to do it otherwise. The fashionista in this house has a fiery temper to match.

Hooray! Linus has been binky-free for one week!

2010-04-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

I got the idea from a friend. One day last week, I hid all the pacifiers and told Linus that the Easter Bunny had taken them all away. I was surprised he did not cry or fuss about it. He did ask numerous times where his "air-we" (what he calls his pacifier) is. It helps that Lucas reinforces the story and tells his brother that the Easter bunny had arrived at the door to take his pacifier away.

I am so happy he can sleep and go around without his pacifier now.

This is what they call yoga

2010-04-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

February 2010

Linus' big boy bed

2010-04-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

So we decided it was time for Linus to move out of his baby crib and into a big boy bed. I chanced upon this cozy coupe bed and got it almost rightaway. The boys both loved it when we brought it into Lucas' bedroom.

The first couple of nights went great. Linus jumped right into his "car bed" and Lucas went up his bunk bed and they both slept in the same room. They would be singing and chatting away (I am amazed they understand each other so well since Linus has limited vocabulary now..but they do) and then one will fall asleep and then soon, the other.

This lasted quite well for a few weeks..until a couple of nights ago, when Linus decided he wanted to sleep in the bunk bed with his big brother. We are working on it right now..to rekindle his love for the "car bed".

Lucas' recent artwork

2010-03-31T21:37:00.001-07:00

The one above, he calls the "Chitty Bang Bang car". I am impressed he got 4 wheels drawn.
The second picture is "Mommy". He has got me a pair of eyes, mouth and ears and even a neck.

Good job, Lucas!

Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010

2010-03-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

22nd February 2010
The boys and I went on a little adventure to downtown Vancouver to soak up the energy and to experience Vancouver at one of its most vibrant. We rode the bus and the train to downtown Vancouver with Margaret & Carissa. It was definitely a memorable and fun day!

The girls went on a separate trip in the evening for a night out and it was great fun to just walk the streets and enjoy the liveliness of the city and have Pho on a cold winter evening with great girlfriends and talk about everything and anything.

The house is on the market

2010-03-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

Listed for $1.538 Mil.

The boys share a scone - taken in Jan 2010

2010-03-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

The boys share a scone from Serene Ho on Vimeo.

How is it that their features are so different and yet they still look alike?

2010-03-19T23:46:00.000-07:00

Chinese New Year @ Larry & Stephanie's

2010-03-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful hostsMe with my idolNgoh Hiang made by LarryNian Gao with Yam and Taro...YUM goodnessTreasure chest of goodiesYu Sheng or Lou Hei - a traditional Singaporean dish during CNY A whole lot of tossing happened here

Chinese New Year is about getting together with family and good friends and feasting together.
Eating is like a national pastime for us Singaporeans. We grew up learning the goodness of eating as part of a social culture and even whilst we are now living miles away, food and the topic of food is like a binding force that unites us.

We are so blessed to have such great friends here in Vancouver to celebrate the traditional festivities together. I am glad my boys have the opportunity to experience a little of what Chinese New Year means.

Chinese New Year 2010

2010-03-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

I am back on this page. Almost exactly a month behind in my blogging life.

We spent the first day of Chinese New Year at the Goathams. A yearly affair and a good one as always.

Diamond property update - Feb 2010

2010-03-16T17:30:00.001-07:00

Man on roof. I try to stay calm.

Our first night-out without the kids

2010-02-17T23:15:00.000-08:00

At Joe Fortes Seafood restaurant - January 2010

I was excited. To be able to savour my food and enjoy the company of good friends and actually make real conversations, uninterrupted by any cry for attention from a 2.5+ foot little person.

Our neighbour's daughter is an excellent babysitter. Lucas was really good and thoroughly enjoyed her company. I had to make sure Linus was put to bed before we left the house. I was not confident he would take it as easily as his brother did if he had seen us walk out of the door.

We had a great time. And I am waiting in great anticipation for our next one!

Birthday boys in January

2010-02-17T22:55:00.000-08:00

We celebrated two of Lucas' buddies' birthdays in January. Happy Birthday Jack & Ishaan!

I think I vaguely remember my excitement as a kid to go to a birthday party. Lucas loves parties, so much so that he regularly invites his friends over to his house for lunch and to play. I love it that he is such a sociable little person.

What a funny little guy!

2010-02-13T00:02:00.000-08:00

I have been very tickled lately by what Lucas is saying. It's so much fun and I am loving every moment. Below are some excerpts from recent encounters.

Lucas: I want to sit next to you, Daddy. Because you are my best friend.

(Driving to Ishaan's birthday party) Lucas: Don't drop your keys in the drain, ok, Mommy?

(Saw my broken necklace) Lucas: It's ok, Mommy. I will buy you a new one. I can drive to the mall in Mommy's car.

(Linus cries in the car for snack) Lucas: Mommy is driving, Linus. Wait when the car stops, Mommy will help you.

Love all around

2010-02-12T19:50:00.001-08:00

Lucas: I love you, Mama. But I don't want to see your face.

The boys are into expressions of love today. Lots of hugs, kisses, declaration of love to me and their Ta-Ta (blankies). Even Linus is saying "I love you" to me, which absolutely made my day. They even exchanged kisses on the lips, cheeks and foreheads and I wished I had not left my camera at my friend's the other day.

"Where are you, Gor Gor"

2010-02-11T21:48:00.000-08:00

I have far fewer photos of Linus and less time to record all the new milestones he reaches. But I still do pause to delight in each of his new triumphs, a new word, a new movement, and every little accomplishment he makes.

Linus loves connecting with people and is easy-going with almost anyone he meets. He does have a temper, and will make it known if he is not pleased. In many ways, it has been a very different experience raising Linus as compared with Lucas. There were many firsts for me with Linus and I love it that they do have their unique personalities.

Both my boys are very active and agile, although I think Linus is more mischievous and probably learnt more "tricks" from observing and imitating his brother.

His favourite phrase at this moment is "Where are you?" and he loves to call his brother "Gor Gor". It's great that his vocabulary is expanding too so it is easier to understand his needs.

Some of the words he can say now:

Milk, toy, play, water, Carolyn, Elisa, Jack, noodles, chicken, cow, Abby, Elmo, Mary Poppins, Airplane, Train, Thomas, bread, me too.

He loves Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins and would attempt to sing "Truly Scrumptious" from the movie.

I was pleasantly surprised the other day when he turned to me and said, "Bless you" after I sneezed. Awwww. I am so blessed.

Salty peanut cookie

2010-02-10T22:30:00.000-08:00

The reason why I should never attempt to bake.

I would like to be kind to myself and think that I was too tired at the end of the day and mis-read the ingredients. But truly, I chose the most simple recipe and still messed it up.

I will be back soon

2010-02-06T23:30:00.001-08:00

I have been inactive on the blog for a while. I have not begun on 2010 yet and we are already in the second month of 2010.

I have been really busy. With work and with the boys.

January 2010 was a really hectic month for me on the work-front. I was working on preparing for Valentine's and Chinese New Year shipments, scheduling for delivery during the Winter Olympics, negotiating on new products and preparation for shipment going into San Francisco this month.

I am glad most of the work that can be done on my side is done for now. I am just keeping my fingers crossed we have enough flowers to meet the demand.

Did I ever mention that when I am busy, I binge. I eat at the wierdest hours and crave for foods that are not good for me.

I have to get back on an exercise regime. I think I have said this to myself quite a few times in the past year and it was back on my list of resolutions again for 2010. I didn't quite succeed in 2009 to shed those excess pounds and blubber.

I will be back to write about how we begun 2010 and some updated photos of my lovely boys!

Noodles is one of their favourite foods

2010-02-06T22:26:00.003-08:00

Anyone for a re-match?

2010-02-06T22:26:00.001-08:00

The last of 2009 - New Year Eve sleepover at the Cheung's

2010-01-27T22:41:00.000-08:00

Lucas had a Dairy Queen ice-cream. Chocolate-topped. Of course.He was very happy riding round the kitchen island. He doesn't have one at home.Best-dressed of the night.The youngest gets a bench of his ownWe had hot pot for dinner at the Cheung's.We ate, drank and played charades/Taboo to the wee hours of the night whilst the hosts were cleaning up. It was a 6-star dinner+accomodation+breakfast/lunch all inclusive. The ladies looked great.The men looked goofy.
And let's just say the men lost in Charades.

Holiday party @ Biasillo's

2010-01-14T23:05:00.000-08:00

We spent a cozy afternoon at the Biasillo's after Christmas Day. Gari tried to make Edwin drunk with his varied concoctions at his bar. Just one sip and Edwin decided to stick to his good ole beer and stout.

New love of my life

2010-01-07T23:10:00.000-08:00

Ohhh yeah. Yum.
I love it. Can't live without it now. Feels good to have everything (almost) at my fingertips.
Boost to my work efficiency and definitely a "must-have" now.
I can work almost anywhere now. I am not sure if that is a good thing haha.

Christmas Day 2009

2010-01-07T22:56:00.000-08:00

"Santa" came to town. A chinese one. With a pillow sticking out of his chest and a beard that didn't cover half of his face, it was a pretty lame attempt. But he really wanted to do it. He really wanted to feel like he was Santa. If you ask me, it was just plain freaky.

We had 7 families over for lunch on Christmas day. It's incredible how the group is expanding so quickly with new additions. I need a mansion next year to house everyone.

We had the first sleepover at our place too with 2 other families. It was so neat to see Lucas sleeping with his little friends, Ava & Colin. Boxing day the next day, Mr Lim was out of the door at 4:30am queuing up with the masses to steal some good buys. Incredible spirit.

Christmas with the Chows

2010-01-02T23:50:00.000-08:00

I am still blogging about 2009. The holidays have been hectic for us but lots of fun. We had a cosy family dinner with the Chows before Christmas. It's a nice warm feeling to be with family and good friends during the Holidays.

Gingerbread man Party!

2010-01-02T22:52:00.000-08:00

Sheena invited us over to her home in Cloverdale for a Gingerbread man Party. It was such a neat idea to have the kids make and decorate the Gingerbread man cookies.

The kids had fun sticking the candies onto the Gingerbreadman and Lucas couldn't wait to eat them! He has a sweet tooth like Mommy. My boys both love chocolates although I rarely let them eat it but when Lucas has a choice of cookies or ice-cream, it would almost always be chocolate-flavoured.

It was a very memorable day for me. On our way home, as I was carrying Linus and holding Lucas' hand across the road to my car, I dropped my car keys into a drain. A drain which I could not see the bottom of. I panicked, mostly because I have the boys with me and they were getting tired. My first reaction was to call out for Elisa's name as she left at the same time as me. We brought the kids back into Sheena's house and then whilst Elisa helped to look after the kids, Sheena and I went out to try to get my keys out. Fortunately for me, there were some landscape workers in her neighbourhood and to cut the story short, they managed to help us get the keys out after about 45 minutes.

It was quite a sight with me squatting by the road and digging into the drain. One of my most memorable moments of 2009!

Thank you, Elisa and Sheena! Without both of you there, I might have just sat there and cry.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Viola!

2010-01-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

19th December 2009

Viola looks like a little princess! The kids had so much fun with the Jump & Slide Desmon and Elisa set up in the living room and the cake was super duper cute!

The donut-eating contest was really funny for us, the spectators. We had an adult version too and of course, Edwin was one of the contestants. But he was not the donut-eating champion. The kids had a really good time. It was a fun-packed party!

Happy Birthday, KK!

Lucas at donut-eating contest

2009-12-31T08:39:00.001-08:00

He was still going at it even after the contest has ended.
Now we know who is a big fan of donuts.
This was taken at Viola's 3rd Birthday Party on 19th Dec.

Lucas' first Christmas Concert at Pre-School

2009-12-30T20:58:00.000-08:00

Edwin: I cannot wait to see you sing, Lucas. Daddy is going to cry.

Lucas: You go cry, Daddy. Go.

We were both so excited to watch Lucas' first performance at the Pre-school's Christmas concert. He has been singing the Christmas tunes at home and I was surprised when he came home one day and said "Amen" at the dinner table. He also told me it is "Jesus' birthday" on Christmas day.

90% of the children in this Christian Pre-school is Asian. Some of reasons I chose this school is because I was comfortable with the teachers in the school, its classroom environment and proximity to home and also because they have Mandarin lessons once a week. Lucas has learnt a few words and phrases from school and from his friends and I am glad.

Turns out he hardly sang throughout the concert and was just happily looking around at the audience and looking at us. We are still very proud of him.

Driving is his kind of vacation

2009-12-29T21:23:00.000-08:00

Portland-Seattle Dec 11-13 2009

Not so much for me because he is a boring companion in the car. I was hesitant when Edwin wanted to drive to Portland over one of the rare weekends he was not working. The highlight of the trip for the boys must be the train ride at the Oregon Zoo. It was a pretty cool train ride and the light-up was pretty but it was freezing cold.
I was happy we managed to meet up with my cousins and the boys met with Ruby and Curtis.
One King-size bed is not big enough for all 4 of us now. Edwin and I struggled to find space on the bed.
The boys did very well on the trip and on the road. They slept, played and sang and only fussed when they got hungry. I, on the other hand, would have much preferred to fly.

Hello Santa

2009-12-27T23:39:00.000-08:00

Linus couldn't take his eyes off Santa at their first meeting.

1 week later..

Daddy: Santa is going to come on Christmas day to give you your present.

Lucas: The Santa in the mall?

10 minutes to dress the kids up for 5 minutes of play

2009-12-27T23:01:00.000-08:00

I find it a challenge to dress my boys up these days. Or rather to get them to sit still to let me put their clothes, socks and shoes on. They will be monkeying around and I will be fighting hard to keep my cool. Anyhow, this was a week ago when we had light flurries. Nothing compared to last year where we had more than 30cm of snow around Christmas.

It's beginning to look a little like Christmas

2009-12-27T22:40:00.000-08:00

Just a week before Christmas, Edwin finally brought the Christmas tree out. The boys were so excited to see the tree and to help deck it out. I had great memories of Christmas during my childhood days and I am excited to help my children create some great memories too. After the decorations were up, Lucas said, "Put presents in there, Daddy!"

Oh boy.

Boys at play

2009-12-18T23:08:00.000-08:00

A Daddy's love

2009-12-18T22:06:00.000-08:00

I was stunned when I saw the "Happy Birthday" sign at the foot of Lucas' bed. Edwin had crept into Lucas' bedroom when he was asleep to put up the note and a surprise present for his boy the night before his actual birthday on 9th Dec. The surprise present is "Annie & Claribel" - one of the character trains in Thomas & Friends.

It was not a love note to me but I was very moved.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Lucas!

2009-12-09T23:37:00.000-08:00

Dearest Lucas,
You are such great fun and joy to be with. You constantly amaze us with how fast you are learning and expressing yourself. I love that you are communicating so well now and able to let us know your thoughts and feelings through words. It has opened up a brand new world to us yet again. You are a wonderful big brother to Linus and we are very proud of you.
Turning 3 is an exciting time and we look forward to sharing even greater adventures and experiences with you!

Lots of love,
Mommy & Daddy

Happy Birthday Ava+Colin!

2009-12-08T22:44:00.000-08:00

Nov 15th 2009

Ava & Colin's birthdays are a couple of days apart and the Lims held a joint party for the kids. Colin turned 2 and Ava is 4. Awesome party as usual! The kids had a great time at the bouncy castle and after the crowd settled a little, we attempted to nap the kids at the same time. We definitely should try that again! It was fun to watch and great to see that they are so comfortable with each other.

Happy 1st Birthday, Adelia!

2009-11-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

8th Nov 2009 - Adelia turns One!

The Tansumas held Adelia's birthday party at Heritage Mountain Community Center. It's a great idea with the large number of people and kids. So many babies! All of us seem to be carrying one at any one time. We celebrated Miles' birthday as well as his birthday falls on the same day as Adelia.

Happy Birthday, Adelia & Miles!

Welcome Baby Emi!

2009-11-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

The newest addition to the Van family.

Baby girl Emi was born on 5th Nov 2009.

She is so beautiful and looks very much like Jack!
Congratulations, Carolyn, Rob & Jack!

I just choked on my chocolate pretzel.

2009-11-23T21:41:00.001-08:00

First, my son tells me I have a big bum. 2 hours later, I turned around and almost choked on my chocolate pretzel when I saw Edwin. 2 hours 2 minutes later, my face is all red from laughing so hard.

So..anyway, I did do some exercise tonight. I went swimming, my all-time favourite sport/exercise. Feels really good.

I came home and caved in to my desire to eat those chocolate covered pretzels sitting on the kitchen counter.

Dear Lucas,
Mommy will work really hard to not have a big bum. Really hard. Maybe tomorrow.

Love,
Mommy

The honest opinion

2009-11-23T21:36:00.000-08:00

Lucas: Where are you going, Mommy?
Me: Mommy is going to do some exercise.
Lucas: Because you have a big bum?
Me: NO. Because I want to be strong.

Help yourselves to the candy..at the door.

2009-11-23T15:16:00.000-08:00

The Lims hosted a Halloween Party this year. Fun! All the details into the decorations, food and games were amazing. We had so much fun! Best-dressed has to go to the hosts..the french maid and the pirate. We had good weather too which allowed us to go out with the kids for trick-or-treat.

A couple of firsts for me:

1. Seeing self-serve candy placed outside the door.

2. Shoved by Simon during a friendly (or maybe not) musical chairs game. (I will get you next time, Simon!!)

First taste of Durian

2009-11-16T11:03:00.001-08:00

Buy me a toy car so Lucas can play with it

2009-11-15T21:08:00.000-08:00

That was what Edwin told me to do for his Birthday last month.

We celebrated with some close friends at E-Canteen. It was great. A private room to house all of us with 2 kids in tow (almost). Where the kids can make as much noise and no one will glare at us. Where we can have decent Hong Kong style food and milk tea whilst talking loudly over the table to each other.

Goofing around

2009-11-15T20:52:00.000-08:00

Lucas is turning 3 in a month's time. He is such an easy-going, good-natured little guy. He adores his Daddy very much and I must say I do envy Edwin for being the receiving end of such warm, enthusiastic and excited welcome when he steps through the door everyday. I guess it is hardly the same when Lucas is with me for almost 12 hours a day.

Thank you for listening

2009-11-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

Silence. Finally.

Update on house construction @ Diamond

2009-11-09T21:38:00.000-08:00

Framing is almost done and roof will be up soon.

I would have a dozen more

2009-11-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

Kids. If I don't look like an elephant when I am pregnant and if I have family here with us.

There are so many moments I wish I could freeze time when I see my boys.

Lucas is a great big brother. He has his moments of being possessive of his toys and they still do tussle over the same toys but it is all a part of growing up. It's great that they have each other for company and I love to see them play together and communicate with each other in their own unique manner. Lucas is speaking very well now and it opens up a whole new world for us as we have to explain everything to feed his curious mind. Linus is currently in love with books, balls, and digestives.

The boys were recently introduced to the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, one of Edwin's favourite shows when he was young and even now I think. Lucas can sing the songs pretty well and I hope to get it on video soon!

Living his dreams through his son

2009-11-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

He said something about his dream of sleeping on a bunk bed when he was young and didn't get the chance to. And one day, he walked through the door with planks of wood and started building one for his son. I was hesitant about Lucas sleeping in a bunk bed at such a young age, but the beam on Lucas' face was unforgettable. He was so proud, so happy and hugged his Daddy and said "Thank you, Daddy. I love my new bed."

Conversations with our almost 3-year-old

2009-11-02T19:52:00.001-08:00

Lucas: Daddy, when you are a big boy, you can go to school with Lucas.
Lucas: And when I am a big man, I will go to work.
Daddy: But Daddy don't have a school bag.
Lucas: Lucas will buy you one school bag ok?

Daddy: Look at that yellow car. Daddy likes that yellow car.
Lucas: No. It is not yellow. It is a green car.
(It is indeed a green car)

Lucas & Linus are currently in love with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. A classic.

W+J Wedding - Oct 13th 2009

2009-11-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

Beautiful in many ways.

Congratulations to the newly-weds!

A sit-down Thanksgiving dinner @ home for 18 adults & 10 kids

2009-11-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

Oct 11th 2009
I am still almost a month behind in updates. Catching up is getting harder these days.

To my readers, I am sorry about the music you hear in the background. Removing it was taking up much longer time than expected and I got diverted to other business. I will attempt again later. (in the meantime, you can mute the music with the speaker icon on the slideshow page)

We invited some close friends over for Thanksgiving dinner and decided to do away with plastic plates and cutlery and have a sit-down dinner. We roasted a Turkey for the first time and it was good for a first attempt!

We had great fun planning and setting up the place for the party. Lucas was very excited to have his friends over too. He is a little social birdie.

In retrospect, we had great fun and the best moment must be the "bread-stuffing" moment during one of the games we had that evening. Hooray to videos we can revisit the laughter that day.

By the end of the evening, Edwin was drunk on the couch. Cleaning up up for a dinner party for 28 took one full day but I would still do it!

Hello. I am still alive.

2009-10-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

It's almost 8pm and I am sitting in front of my computer and my mind wanders. For a good 5 minutes, I think I was merely motivated by whatever my fingers are clicking on. Randomly reading updates on Facebook, and catching up on world news. Anything but baby or toddler talk.

The dishes are done, floors are freed from toys, tables and chairs scrubbed down, laundry in the wash, dog fed and the house look decent enough for my soul. I jumped into the shower to rid of any baby drool or slobber.

The boys are in bed. I was having a very zen moment. I must add the husband is not home yet. (as it has been so for the past week)

And then it happened.

I heard a rumble. It came from within. My stomach is calling out. I have not had dinner.

I scrambled to warm up some dinner for myself and then Mr Contractor walks through the door. There goes my zen moment.

First Pre-school excursion

2009-10-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Laity Pumpkin Patch - Oct 2009
We were blessed with great weather on the day of the school outing. It was our first time to this Pumpkin Patch in Maple Ridge. Big, beautiful and well decked out to appeal to the kids. The kids had a great time. I never want to enter a corn maze again. Ever. Going in circles for 20 minutes surrounding by nothing by corn is not my cup of tea. There is no free corn at the end of the maze too.

Celebrating Lantern festival

2009-10-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

-Earlier this month. At Larry & Stephanie's-
We had a great time catching up with friends and devouring the Mooncakes brought in from Singapore by Pamela & Douglas. We didn't stay too long since it was way past the boys' bedtime.

How many wood chips can a van take?

2009-10-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

Say Awwwwww...

2009-10-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

Monkeying around

2009-10-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

The boys are growing up so fast. I know I have probably said this too many times but I am reminded of this everyday as I watch them grow, learn a new word, or reach a new milestone. I love it that Linus is walking very much more steadily now and at times, almost as quick as a run as he chases his brother around the house.
I am also very happy to note that Linus has outgrown his allergies and other than his sensitive/dry skin, he is growing very well. He loves books, balls, trains, cuddly soft animals and he definitely loves a cuddle. He seems to have a sensitive, soft side to him which is so definitive of his horoscope!
Lucas is loving school and he has also started to learn Mandarin in Pre-school. He is speaking really well and I am really enjoying conversing with him. There are so many memorable moments and I wish I could record every minute of it. It just goes by too fast.

Baby girl Van is arriving!

2009-10-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

I had a great time planning Carolyn's Baby Shower back in September. It's so refreshing to shop for pinks, flowers and all things pretty. My second attempt at the Diaper Cake. I was thrilled to find this very cute wind-up toy which I used for the cake topper.

I am really excited for the Vans! Just 3 weeks to go to welcome baby girl to the world!

Update on Construction @ Diamond Road

2009-10-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

Brotherly love

2009-10-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

My boys are starting to look very much alike. I love it.