CNY 2012

This year's CNY was just as ordinary as any other day. We did not do anything interesting or exciting and spent most of our days sitting at home. Here are some of the highlights...

1. The celebration started with a reunion dinner in Mah-mah's house on CNY eve. This year, Mah-mah cooked only 1 dish and the rest were contributed by the family (potluck). For the very first time in history, our reunion dinner was pork-free. There was no sight of the usual roasted pork and chicken dish. All of us decided to focus more on healthy, less-meat meals this year.

2. On the 1st day of CNY, we spent the whole day playing and snacking in Mah-mah's house... from morning until night. I brought along a big bag of toys and games from home to keep boredom at bay.

3. On the 2nd day of CNY, we had another round of family lunch (hoi nin) in Mah-mah's house. It was hoi-nin with a twist... we had a western fare of spaghetti carbonara, chicken schnitzel, salad, vegetable fish cakes and apple crumble for dessert.

4. On the evening of the 2nd day, we had a family gathering in Koo-Kong's house (mummy's 3rd Kau-foo). I met many of my cousins, including those who returned for their annual holidays from Australia.

5. Mummy and I "abandoned" daddy (cos he had to return to work on the 3rd day of CNY) and left for Seremban for a 5-day stay in Ah Ma's house. I had a great holiday and enjoyed spending time with Gung-gung, who played with me and kept me occupied for the whole 5 days we were there. Kau-foo also pampered me by buying me lots of toys.

6. Finally paid Auntie Shellie a long-overdue visit. Auntie Shellie is one of mummy's oldest and bestest buddies of nearly 30 years. We were supposed to visit her after she had baby Abbygail last year. Now, baby Abbygail is already 9 months old!

And now, the pics...

Last year and this year... I could still fit into my pink cheongsam (although it's a bit shorter now) so I wore it to my kindergarten's CNY celebration just before the school holidays started

Reunion dinner at Mah-mah's... ooh, I just can't wait! I love tossing the yee-sang.

Our dinner... homemade yee-sang, prawns, ikan gerang asam, mixed vegetables, sweet and sour chicken, fresh tofu with dried shrimps (x2), steamed dumplings with special sauce, fruit platter and chocolate cuppies

Dinner at Koo-kong's house... trying to get close to cousin Pei Wen (from Melbourne). I've always wanted to hold and carry a real baby.

Dinner with the kids at the "kiddy table"

Our dinner at Koo-kong's house... waxed-meat rice, steamed patin fish (x3), mixed vegetables (sei dai tin wong), mixed vegetables (lo hon zai), fried prawns and braised pig trotters

We had yee sang too. The only thing I like about yee-sang is the crisps... and 4th Yee Poh prepared this yee-sang with a generous heap of crisps! I loved it!

With 5th Yee Poh and the kids... Nathan and Alyssa are back from Melbourne too 

Playing "pop-pop" with some of the boys (daddy included haha) in Auntie Shellie's house

With cute lil' Abbygail... although meeting for the first time, we were equally thrilled to see each other hehe. 

Fireworks galore... every night without fail (for 15 days), we get to watch fireworks (some really spectacular, others ordinary) from our living room

Things I Say

Which Is More Important?
After being told by mummy for the umpteenth time to do my writing (Chinese homework) and put away my play tent (because she wanted to mop the floor), I finally moved my butt and proceeded with my writing first. It was then mummy started her usual nagging...
Mummy: I told you to keep the tent... bla bla bla... how many times must I tell you... bla bla bla... do you ever listen... bla bla bla...
Me: But writing is more important ok!

Setting my priorities right... homework first!

It's the Prunes!
I usually move my bowel every alternate days. Sometimes, I will poop daily but twice a day is definitely rare, which was what happened one day...
Mummy: Eh, how come you poo-poo twice today? What did you eat?
Me: I think it must be the prunes.
Mummy: But you didn't eat any prunes today, did you? You also didn't eat any yesterday, right?
Me: But I did last time... long ago!

Her Black Stuff
I always help mummy at the check-out counter at supermarkets. While helping to unload things from the shopping trolley to the cashier counter, I pushed all the fruits to one side, shook my head and mumbled "You and all your black-black stuff!"

Mummy wasn't aware that she has chosen all the dark-coloured fruits... grapes, plums, cherries and blueberries and I was quick to point that out to her haha.

Beauty Spots
I have tiny little "white heads" on my face occasionally and mummy likes to pinch them to remove them. Every time she does that, I will protest (cos it's painful!). Mummy still does the pinching despite my repeated protest so one day, I came up with a new excuse...
Me: Don't remove it! It's my beauty spot!
Mummy: LOL!

Can you spot my "beauty spot"?

Singing Da Ca
Mummy was happily singing one of the songs from my JMC CD when I interrupted her one day...
Me: Mummy, you sing da ca!
Mummy: Huh??
Me: You sing da ca la. Da ca means wrong (putting a cross in Mandarin). You sing wrong!

Better Late Than Never

After months (and years) of procrastination, daddy and mummy finally enrolled me for music lessons. My journey in music did not start out smoothly. It all started way back in my young toddler days when mummy tried teaching me the piano. It was a futile attempt that often ended in tears, frustrations and unhappiness. Mummy was impatient and fierce. I was slow and easily distracted. I couldn't follow her instructions and I disliked the way she taught me (wrong approach). After a couple of lessons plus many more re-tries as I grew older, mummy did not see any improvement in me so she gave up teaching me.

In early 2010 (when I was 3y5m), mummy decided that I needed formal music lessons so she brought me to a music centre only to be told to return later because I was too young (for the program of her choice). Later, somewhere in early 2011 (when I was 4y5m), mummy brought me there again. This time, mummy was very disappointed with the customer service of the music centre. Nobody attended to us after a long wait so we left. She tried contacting the person in charged via email but her email was never replied! Mummy was angry and upset.

She then went to inquire about this music program in another branch and was told that I was over-aged. How can I be "over-aged" when I was only 4+ and the music program is for kids aged 4-6? Mummy left feeling baffled this time.

Meanwhile, I began to lose interest in music and whenever mummy suggested music lessons to me, I would say NO and refused to go until very recently (late December) when daddy and mummy decided to "force" me there. They "dragged" me to the music centre again.

Finally, in Jan 2012 (at 5y5m and being one of the oldest in class), I was accepted into the January intake of Yamaha's Junior Music Course (JMC) for Book 1 (just in the nick of time, in their last available slot) and classes began in the first week of this year.

Solfege singing with a group of new friends

As of today, after attending just 2 lessons, I'm madly IN LOVE with music now. I could play the first few pieces in the book (I learned them all by myself) even BEFORE attending my first lesson. Now, I can play 70% of the pieces in Book 1. Most of them have not been taught by my music teacher yet. Mummy did not teach me too. I learned everything on my own by listening to the CD and watching the DVD a few times everyday. I love the catchy tunes and I sing and hum to them almost all the time.

Singing and playing the piano is my favourite pastime now

I practice the pieces on the piano very enthusiastically everyday. Of course, mummy's constant praises and encouragement motivate me too. Mummy regrets not enrolling me earlier. Anyway, it's better late than never, isn't it?

Kiddy Fun Land

-Backdated post-

During the school holidays, mummy brought me to the malls quite regularly. Most of the time, I just tagged along while mummy did her groceries and other stuff. To make up for all those times when I accompanied her and endured long hours of boredom in silence, she brought me to these "kiddy fun lands" to cheer me up.

Kiddy Fun Land 1 - Jusco's Paper Town, 1 Utama
Despite being around for quite some time, this place is very well-maintained. Everything in it is clean, new and in working condition. Mummy doesn't mind letting me play here again and again...

This roll-roll-roll thing was very fun to play with!

Made myself a cup of tea in the very clean and tidy paper-kitchen... slurrrrp!

My handprints!

Having another ball of a time! Mummy brought me there early in the morning so there was no crowd at all :)

Kiddy Fun Land 2 - YuKids Island

Newly opened in The Curve, mummy took advantage of their opening offer of only RM10 for unlimited play time (she missed the FREE entry on their first 3 days of opening). This play land has the same concept as the Kid's E World in The Gardens where every play thing in it moves... they either rock, tilt or rotate.

I referred to this as "the most fun place in the world"!

Now you see me, now you don't!

Jump, jump, jump... how high can you jump?

Floating balloons!

"Geram" this very cuddly froggie

Resting on a rotating "drum" 

Hanging on to this merry-go-round... it's not easy to ride on this!

Another 5 more minutes, pleeeeease?

I was very happy and contented after spending a few hours playing in YuKids Island. Mummy initially allocated 2 hours for this but I kept begging for "extra time" and stretched my time here to nearly 3 hours! As soon as we got home and immediately after my bath, I sat down and wrote this note for mummy...

I wrote everything on my own and asked for spelling help for the word "bringing". I also drew a cute picture of mummy and I holding hands at the back of this. Very sweet of me, eh? :)

First Day of Last Year in Kindergarten

Today is the first day of my 3rd year in the same kindergarten, P&J. I love this kindy very, very much and told mummy "I wish I can study here forever". Well, mummy wishes the same thing too but that won't be possible, of course. All good things must come to an end and this year will my final year in pre-school.

First day of school, Jan 2012 - in K2 Hua Wen... do take notice of how my uniform has "shrunken".

First day of school back in Jan 2010... wearing an XL-sized uniform that I'm still wearing until today :)

Just two years ago, at 3 years 5 months, I was such a cute toddler when I started kindy! 

Oh, how time flies!!!