....it's all good....

Matt @ 4 months old

the sort-of big plan (1-2 months prior)
since i'm on a long break, we were thinking of ... our 1st family trip ... a couple of days away from home ...to celebrate Matt's birthday... no where far... just our neighbouring country ...Singapore will do for now... a short trip... yippee...finally we have work up our guts to step out of the country tagging the kids along.

1 month prior, Brad caught a virus... pass it on to mummy and daddy... we have been coughing for weeks since... 3 out of 4 are down with virus... the sort-of big plan was SCRAPE!

Matt @ 1 1/2 years old

the back-up plan (1-2 weeks prior)
since Matt is immune to our virus contamination...we decided to make it a MATTHEW day... mummy & daddy with MATTHEW... yes, a day with Matt ...full devotion from his beloved parents... no lil brother to divide and share the attention...one full day...we are gonna take him to Gymboree... watch King Kong (a request from Matt)... to Toy'rus to choose his own tricycles as birthday present...whatever he demands... as long as it's within reasonable means.

a few days prior, Matt caught the virus...on medication... not himself... woozy and easily tired... a full day out is too much for his current stage of health... the back-up plan was SCRAPE!

Matt @ as of today

the last resort plan ( 1 day prior)
we still want to make the day special for lil Matt... so, we figured a couple of hours for him to run loose and let off steam at the Gymboree and then head over to Toy'rus to choose his tricycles as his birthday present will still make his day...so, we executed the plan.

the GYMBOREE fun...


it's Matt 1st time to the Gymboree... he had fun...it could be even better if he was not sick... the hyper activities triggered a coughing bout every now and then... tho' he refused to leave but we decided to cut it short at 1 1/2 hours later noticing Matt was weary and sleepy from the medication.

Matt had a great time despite unwell...glad that at least something turned out fun for him...

as for Toy'rus and tricycles -SCRAPE too!! Matt show no interest in tricycles or bicycles.... well, maybe he was just unwell...can try again some other day.

still owe lil Matt his birthday present....

it was a pleasant morning... the kids rise and shine with an upbeat spirit and a more than enthuse frame of mind



we visited my parents-in-law for an early celebration of Matt turning 3 birthday.
more pressies for Matt...



Matt's all time favourite "ULTRAMAN and the DINASOUR"
...something that the grandparents put in a little extra thought for lil Matt birthday gift.



ultraman may be an out-dated toy to some but Matt has a strong preference over certain things to which he steadfast on.

the following are something that Matt utter often and will be a good laugh down the memory lane...

I'm the ULTRAMAN and YOU ARE THE DINASOUR - LET'S FIGHT!

while Matt engrossed himself with his toys, Brad was more than happy to chill out on its own..



catch of the day...the boy that steal the show...when we have a birthday and turn another year, it bring on a bout of nostalgia.



WISHING MY LITTLE BOY A HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MANY MORE TO COME!!

the nite before
there's no more important part of the home at this time of the year than the Christmas tree...


in the morning
the sentiment was poor...

my virus finally caught up with Matt. he was coughing badly thru' out the nite and even puked once at the wee hour of the morning. the less than favorable health...the stress... the lack of sleep thrown us off the ground a tiny bit the next morning.

Though lil Brandon was oblivious to his bro misery, Matt was as gloomy as ever.



we decided to let the kiddies open some of their pressies to tantalize the senses and kick up some excitement.




must say it does pacified the mood a little... tho' Matt was still not totally himself



in the afternoon
the sentiment has improved...

given the turn of event, we took a rain check for the morning mass and joined in for the Christmas lunch only. daddy & mummy seats were barely warm up and we were kept on our toes at all time chasing the 2 little fellas around... despite not at their best shape.
(i left my camera at home and unable to capture the maddening but memorable moment)

in the late afternoon
the sentiment was thrilled...

after a cat nap during the drive home, the kiddies are charged up for another round of pressies ripping...



Matt and his KONG..





Brad and his Choo-Choo...



the mess.. the chaos..the thereafter


in the late evening
the sentiment was supreme...



there were no magical touches or fairy tale effects to our christmas celebration but it's definitely a ToPSY TURvY day for us.



we may not be on top of world at the start of day but we ended the evening on a sweet note.

WISHING ALL A JOLLY MOLLY X'MAS!

when i was little,
X'mas were all about glittering christmas tree...colourfully wrapped pressies tucked under the tree...whitey carolers spreading christmas joys...dressed myself up to celebrate the occasion...a nice meal together with the family...

now i'm a mom,
X'mas is about a safe glitzy christmas tree for the kiddies to awe at (a fiber optic tree with no wire coil or dangling ornaments to worry about- except for 'chicken little' being stuck on the tree by Brandon) ...a well thought out pressies for the kiddies to get excited about...children christmas songs for the kiddies to sing along...new head-to-toe outfit to dress up the little ones...a nice meal together with the family...


there is still one thing in common then and now... 'a nice meal with the family'. It's all about family after all.


what is there for mummy and daddy on X'MAS day? we count our blessings for having 2 LOVELY LITTLE TOTS to make our day


A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR to all
especially dedicated to a family member that is far away but close in heart and a buddy that i hardly see nowadays but always in mind...

a day out with the kids is always wearisome for the parents and over-stimulation to the kids. without parents setting high expectation on the kiddies to behave in par with adult standard... usually the day will turn out pleasantly and even amusing at times.

there were excited moment...
struck with curiosity moment...
the self engrossed wandering off moment...
Taken July 05

usually they had such a great time, they weren't at all keen to go home...

not a very prolific day.
loads of work to clear before the break...still coughing badly...feelin' woozy, most probably from medication overdosed.
stuck in my thoughts on what to post

well, even kids had their no-nonsense day...

Taken Nov 05

candid photos allow you to see through any posturing... exposing our children's authentic character. it help parents to remember the vivacious personality and endearing expressions of our children.

the expected..

the unexpected...
Taken Nov 05

a great candid shot is the jewel of a parent's photographic quest

To Tag :
- State who tagged you;
- List who you want your Santa Claus to be (the bearer of the gift);
- State the gift you wish to get;
- Then invite a few friends to join the tag, and inform them by dropping a comment in their blog.

Tagged by

Zara's Mama

coz' i'm a newbie

My Santa Claus

Zara's Mama

coz' i dun know anybody well (in blogsphere) as yet

X'mas wish
A family package for 4 to Disneyland, California would be great.... no way?? Okay, I can settle for a day of babysitting service of M&B so that mummy & daddy can have some time out together.

Tagging

Mom2Ashley

to get some freebies for baby Ashley

Jazzmint

for frequently MIA recently

Tracy's Nest

for being a newbie too

the younger son. well loved and pampered by every member of the family. he possess a steady physical gestures that exudes an aloof and calm exterior. from within, he is a playful tot with a touch of mischievousness. a naughty and nice dude.......so ever laughable, huggable and kissable.

Taken July 05
Taken Dec 05

though made in Paris, he inherited the feautures of a pure chinese descendant... his small little eyes, his tiny cutie nose and his little trademark pouty lips. he pout his lip when his bored, unhappy, interested ... almost in all occassions.

Taken Nov 05
Taken July 05

his favourite person on earth is his mother, mummy and me. yes, he is my #1 fan. he still jabber in gibberish with every words come in pair i.e. pau-pau (to carry), ko-ko (brother-Matt), ti-ti (little bro-himself), choo-choo (Thomas train), shoe-shoe (going out), nien nien (his milk), mum mum (food) etc. etc.

Taken Dec 05
Taken Dec 05

he is so addictive that a day away from him trigger the worst withdrawal syndrome in me... yearning, longing and craving for that little laughter, huggies and kisses of his.

love him deeply... unconditionally... wholeheartedly...

we started potty training Matt when he turned 2. i must say it's no smooth sailing... everything fall in place by itself.. or just a natural transition stage of a toddler development. the journey took us few months of patience and endurance. it's a challenge to daddy, mummy as well as babysitter and total resentment from little Matthew.

whenever we put him - not only on but anywhere near the potty, he will close up and hold in as long as he can. we try coaxing, bribing and even threatening but to no avail.. he is as stubborn as can be.

Taken Nov 05

eventually we decided to leave him alone from the potty but we also do away with the diaper. yes, we let him wet himself and even poo in his pant. Gross as it may sounds but that's the turnaround... key to our little victory.

little Matt is a hygienic boy in nature. he can't even stand sticky fingers or muddle shirts after a meal, not to mention wet or soiled pants now. he learnt fast that potty will save his day and finally welcome it into his life after only a few days of trial..

Taken Nov 05

an ordinary photo to some but it speak a thousand words to those that celebrated the moment

i love kids in jammies... the look of waking up to the start of the day with a lovely smell from a good nite sleep ... or it's time to tuck them to bed leaving some solitaire moment for me to reflect on the day.

Brandon is an early riser. he sleeps in his cot with an opening attached to our bed. he is always the first to rise and shine over the weekend. usually he will roll over to say "hi" to my face if i happens to be facing him or climb over my shoulder to say "hi" if my back is on him. if he didn't get a satisfactory response, he won't hesitate to jam his fingers up my nostrils for a little wake up call...he has somehow work it out that will do the trick to get my attention no matter how deep i'm in slumberland.



Taken July 05

these photos were taken fresh in the morning when Brandon is still in his jammies... attempting to read a book way to big for his size. kinda set the day for a good start..

few things equal the magnetic attraction between kids and water. washing and splashing...colourful plastic bowls... a water playground...2 little folks... being allowed to get all hype up ...added another dimension to bathtime fun and games.

the fascination...

the concentration...

the companion..

the wrinkly fingers...
Taken Nov 05