Everytime Caleb’s jie-jie rides her tricycle or her training-wheeled bicycle he’d come up from behind and gladly be pushing her. Never has he asked to be riding it, even though he has Caitlin to see as an example.

So, since the tricycle is broken from regular wear and tear (I actually think it’s because Caitlin is growing and her weight actually broke the structure!) they’ve only been able to ride/push the bigger bike, which is left at my mum’s, on weekends when we visit.

Also, we thought since her jie-jie is able to ride around now, why not have the means for him to join her.

This is what we have gotten for Caleb.

It looks like a pretty interesting design- you’ll see that there are detachable handles that can be used for both pushing and guiding, assuming he doesn’t peddle too fast!

Caleb doesn’t know it yet, nor does he understand the concept of Christmas presents. I wonder if he wonders what they big wrapped box under Grandma’s tree actually contains!

No- before you get excited, we are not having another baby!

My cousin’s newborn has recently reached a milestone.

Ethnic Chinese folks have this at the age of 1 month. Caitlin had her celebration, but due to logistics, we didn’t have one for Caleb- Okay, our excuse was that he turned a month old when everyone else would have been too busy with 2008’s Chinese New Year!

Anyway..

Dubbed full moon; “moon” being synonymous with “month” in the Chinese language, I cannot remember (do I even know?) what the reasons are for this milestone among us Chinese folks. Somehow I have this impression that this milestone celebration is to signify the achievement of babies reaching 1 month old, because, back in the (really) old days, baby mortality rates are quite high, reaching a month old is deemed an achievement.

Am I right?

In any case, let’s welcome Chantelle to the family!

Hello world!

Photo courtesy of my brother’s Flickr site.

So now it’s Wednesday night, the end of the third day of Chinese New Year.

Some folks have gone back to work, my work email’s inbox is starting to fill up, some kids are back in school tomorrow. Most are still on leave, Chinese-owned shops are still closed.

It went by too quickly.

Specifically, it didn’t feel like it, the way I remembered it.

We were at Grandma’s open house last night- Hot Mummee’s family’s tradition where Grandma caters (more like she cooks herself!) for her side of the family, always on the second day of the New Year. There was a comment made last night, echoed by many.

Every year it feels less and less like Chinese New Year. I wholeheartedly agree.

For me, it was all of these:

• Firecrackers
• Whole roast pigs; Okay it’s expensive; somehow my parents used to get one and share them with relatives and friends)
• Lots of ang pows; yes I know I am married now!
• Pai thee kong; I know this is celebrated on the 8th day, but previous years have already shown the “slowdown”
• More firecrackers; yes us boys played with all sorts, but left the serious one (the long over-6-footers packed with gunpowder!) to dad to light
• Lots of food and junk food
• Noise, mainly from blaring Chinese New Year songs
• More firecrackers

For me, the change started when Malaysia banned firecrackers. It started not feeling like that time of year anymore, because it traditionally was a very noisy part of the year, where the nights would be literally cracked by the sporadic exploding cracker, or the occasional rapid-fire of a 6-footer. Our lawn would be littered with small pieces of red paper, evidence of our own 6-footer.

And then, it started to change. Through the years the atmosphere was getting less and less like it. I don’t think it is just because I am growing (older), that my personal experience and memory are different because I am seeing the world differently at the passing of every year. I think a lot of you would also agree that it is not the same anymore.

For my kids, I foresee that they will likely not view this traditionally very significant Chinese festivity as big a deal as we do. They’d probably know that it is significant, but it is not as big an impact as it did for us when we were kids.

Do you feel the same?

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all my friends!

I don’t know how often I’d be reading, checking comments, or posting, but rest assured it’s likely due to being busy catching up with relatives, cards and eating!

A short post direct from my iPhone

I think I’ve mentioned that on year-end festivities, all my siblings and families come back to “headquarters” (my parents’ place) to celebrate.

And as the kids have grown, so have the kinds of activities they partake. Some are gonna be going overseas entering uni in a few months time. Some have just received their good grades from their PMR major mid-high school life (well done guys). Some are back from 2nd and 3rd year uni already..

My brother took this shot, rightly so, thinking it was kinda amusing…

Happy New Year to all my reader-friends!

Yes, they are all playing against each other!

We have all preferred that they have chosen, on their own free will, to remain home instead of being out with the crowds tonight. Okay maybe they are still young and single!