Chinese New Year 2010

Following the Year of the Ox is the Year of the Tiger... and based on calculation using the Lunar Calendar, Raychelle would be 3 years old this year! 

My mum always refers to the Lunar Calendar and insists that we are all older...hahaaa.  Unlike our mathematical way of counting age based on birthday (eg. a child only grow by another year old upon reaching the next birthday), according to the Chinese' way of calculating age, the moment a baby is born into the world, he/she is automatically 1 year old, and at every next Lunar New Year, the child's age will increase by another year.  Thus 15-month-old Raychelle suddenly "skips" to 3 years old... I find this rather amusing...just imagine the vast difference between a 15 month-old & a 36 month-old toddler!  Well, since my mum says so, so be it! =)

Take a look at how "3-year-old" Raychelle celebrates her 2nd Chinese New Year...

Part 1: CNY Eve Reunion Dinner @Function Room of Compass Height

Raychelle already had her porridge dinner at home before going for the "4-Generations Reunion Dinner" with daddy's extended family, thus she just spent her time roaming about while the rest ate!

Part 2: CNY Day 1

Raychelle wearing new clothes, new socks, new shoes & carrying new bag on the 1st day of CNY

At my parents' house...notice that Raychelle had a change of outfit? The cheong sam was too hot for her, so I changed her into another new dress which was bought by her Ah Mah in Bangkok last year when she was only 3 month old.

At the house of Raymond's Grandma who is Raychelle's Great Grandma aka "Lao Mah"..

Part 3: CNY Day 2 (We visited Raymond's Gu Gu)

Part 4: CNY Day 4 (We visited Raymond's Maternal Grandpa, Da Yi, then we went to my mum-in-law's house)

On the 4th day of CNY when darling was sending me to work, I told him that ever since I've grown up to be an adult, it has been really a long time since I had so much fun & enjoyed CNY ... it's no doubt that a child can bring so much joy to the family! 

Praise & thank the Lord for the gift of Raychelle!

Monday Dinner Dates

Ever since our family of two becomes three, it's been very seldom that darling & I got to go out for a date just on our own.  Wherever we go, Raychelle will follow ... this is definitely not a complaint, cos we really love having her around, but then... when it comes to meal time, darling & I will have to take turn to eat - while one eats, the other feeds or humours Raychelle...hahaaa

Thus, I suggested fixing a weekly dinner date with just the two of us, starting this year 2010!

Every Monday night, Raychelle will stay over at my parents' house, because Tuesday is a CCA day during curriculum hours in my school and I have to reach school by 8.30am, hence it's more convenient for Raychelle to stay over instead of us having to shuttle her to my parents' house super early in the morning.  Furthermore, I have a colleague who stays nearby and drives, so I can catch a lift from her to school on Tuesday mornings, and darling can get to sleep a bit longer since he doesn't have to send me to school.  Since last year after I returned to work from my maternity leave, such arrangement had started.  However, last year, on Monday nights after knocking off, we would always go to my parents' house for dinner and played with Raychelle, then bade her goodbye & goodnight and proceeded home without her.  I guess being new parents (especially a new mummy) last year, we didn't bear not to leave Raychelle out of sight.

After a year with no real dates on our own, I felt that it's time for darling & I to catch up.  Besides family-bonding time with Raychelle, we need husband-&-wife bonding time too.  Since my parents have been the caregivers of Raychelle on weekdays for close to a year, Raychelle is naturally very close to them, and enjoys staying overnight at my parents' house, as most of the time when she stays over on a Monday night, she will get to go "gai gai" (go out for a trip) with Gong Gong & Po Po the next morning!  Knowing that Raychelle is very good hands of my parents, I automatically will have great ease of mind to go on a weekly Monday dates with darling. 

So far, our Monday dates are mainly dinner dates followed by window-shopping if we happen to dine at a shopping mall, but it's a good time for both of us to catch up!  On the most recent date, we managed to catch a movie - "Little Big Soldiers"!

Besides the weekly Monday dates, I'm now looking forward to our first overseas holidays since Raychelle's arrival - a short  Bangkok shopping holidays during my upcoming March holidays!

Our 1st Monday Dinner Date @Jerry's (Jalan Kayu)

Super Delicious Oxtail Stew & Buffalo Wings from Jerry's

Using our "Buffet Club" vouchers, we dined at Saltwater Cafe at Changi Village Hotel