CNY 2016 - my work

As usual, I would be super duper busy before CNY... The older I get, the more things I would like to try my hand on.. hahaha...

And this is my hand made lantern for this year... which I super like... am really lucky that the lady selling these handicrafts items... she was really very eager to share the instructions readily...

This lantern design is made for Alvan's cc cny competition... I really ran out of easy design and really wants him to join in the fun of making a lantern for the competition, I did see some super complicated lantern which are obviously made by the parents so the child can win! Well, I would see that he's enjoying the processing of lantern making more than winning... 

Another first try item this year is the mandarin orange candied skin peel... I had wanted to try last year as the amount of oranges we need to disposed off is pretty much... but I have got no time for it last year... so they still went into the trash!

This is the amount of work for the orange candied skin and the orange jam I made for 16 oranges! Took me the whole morning to finish all the work!

This year I managed to create our own lo hei!!! So happy everyone enjoyed it and I enjoyed the process of shredding!!! Hahaha... but next year, I would need to get a small size shredder as the radish and carrots shred were abit too fat! Hahaha... but the can of abalone was really super yummy!!! Huat ah!!!

Our Chinatown outing just before CNY

This is the first time Alvan request to go Chinatown this year!! I was really surprised he wanted to go... as he got a booklet talking about CNY from his childcare and there's a picture of Chinatown on the front cover!! So, to fulfill his request, we decided to go for a walk and absorb the CNY atmosphere on a Sunday afternoon!  So courageous of us to bring children to a super crowded place! Haha...

We parked our car at Chinatown point and walk over to the streets selling cny goods...

Before we reached the streets selling the cny goodies, my Alvan's shoe was torn and WL got to carry him along till we find him a pair of new shoes.. hahaha...

I do not know should I say we were lucky or unlucky on the day...  After about 10mins walk, it started drizzling!!  So we started shopping in one of shop house!  But the rain stopped about 10mins later and we venture out again... haha... this time we managed to have another 15mins walk till it began to rain really heavily again.. and another 30mins walk under the covered walkway and shops... afterwhich the rain Juz come and go drizzling and we were not too bothered with it till we reached the Chinatown food streets which we decided to settle our dinner before another downpour...

My Adwin and his chicken wings and a plate of chicken drumstick rice!  They do taste yummy... And portion is big...

My Alvan and Ashley each had a plate of wanton noodle... Pls do not order if you are there... expensive and not tasty... I ordered a plate hokkien fried noodles, nice but abit too ex too... WL had a bowl of fishbowl noodles... no comments cos no comments from him... hahaha...  

We decided to start our walk back to the car park and head home thinking the crowd is building... along the way, we saw this korean dessert shop and decided to pop in for a try...

Here's our order of their signature Bibim and the kids ordered marshmallow!!  Another expensive desserts.. These 2 bowls for whopping $30!!  Lucky was shared among 5 of us...

We were all enjoying our icy cold desserts!!! There were really nice.... not too sweet and the shaved milk ice was really fine and soft... super yummy... yes I believe we will be back again... happy end to our Sunday outing!!!

Kids first CNY celebration in Malaysia

This year my hubby agreed to bring me and kids back to Malaysia (Melaka) for a short 2 days 1 night for the long CNY holidays!! And I am really excited about it... cos its been close to 10 years since I went back for CNY celebration... The last, I remembered, was when my Ashley was about 18 months old... that was really a long time back... and she's 10 years old this year!!!  Where had all the time gone??....

 

I had hope my kids can enjoy their CNY celebrations like I used to enjoy when I was a kid, going back to Malaysia, meeting up with all my cousins, eat and drink all I wanted to, playing card games and having fun with fireworks!!  I remembered always buying boxes of fireworks and comes night time, we would have awesome time lighting them up, watching with anticipation the sparkles and sounds coming up... and always, we were the only group of kids on the road having fun...

 

This time, the kids have tons of fun just playing with the sand pops... the sand pop will popped once the kids throw them out onto the floor... and their grandpa was the busy one, lighting the firework, kids watching with their hands on their ears, eyes shooting up the sky when the firework flew up with a sharp loud sound... The kids were really happy...

 

See how my Adwin enjoying his throw?!??!!... Hahaha...

My 2 transformer boys... in their favourite Bumblebee pyjamas!!!

 

I must thanks my dear hubby for enduring the long drive this CNY back to Melaka... Especially when we decided to drive back to Singapore on the Saturday and the jam at the causeway was a killer... we spent about 4 hours just to clear the custom at JB and Singapore...  But I was really glad to have gone back for the CNY celebrations, as I managed to see many of my aunties, uncles and cousins, many were surprised to see me and my family... many mentioned to their partners that this is the cousin whom they only see once in 10 years time!!! Hahaha... but the last we met was when we were still young and single... but now, most of us had settled down, some with kids, some without... really misses my carefree and happy childhood.... time time... passes by without us realizing it...

2015 River Ang Bao on CNY eve

We headed to the River Ang Bao at Marina floating platform as usual.  Seems to have this yearly routine now... haha... And my kids were so looking forward to this as they had been looking forward to the rides there... And daddy had just bought the Groupon voucher for this event in the afternoon.

We were really early this year and so decided to head to the games and rides section so to prevent queuing later when more people joined in after their reunion dinner...

So, here we are, redeeming the e-card for the rides and the so called 'freebies' from the voucher... A pack of popcorn, helium filled balloon and a funny looking toy and not forgetting a $50 value card for rides and games.

My baby had chosen this brown bear balloon, which was about his height but daddy gave away to a little girl when we were about to leave and my baby was sooo upset about it that daddy went and buy him a baby boy balloon...

And this is the pathetic stall which one need to come and redeem the e-card and freebies...

My son was the first and only rider for this self ride boat ride... and seems like a yearly thing for him or Ashley to row the boat at the River Angbao... haha...

 

And here's my brave boy taking the helicopter ride alone... He just loves all transport vehicles!!! And he got all excited when he sees Helicopter, cars and trains!!

 

 

And my 2 bigger kids having fun in this mini ferris wheel... which my baby boy refused to join in...

 

 

Surprised that my baby boy was able to ride on this ride alone... refusing his jiejie and korkor... ehm... tough for me to get any photos of my 3 kids together!!! :(

 

Ok, maybe only for this ride... but my korkor was in another car, while jiejie taking care of baby... :\

 

 

2 As proudly showing off their soft toys won in a game...

 

I must say, my Adwin is a truly a boy loving all the boys stuff... he can really aim at the bull eyes and got a small monkey stuff toy, he was really happy!!!

 

Time for a rest!! Haha... we were happily seating waiting for the performer to be walking on the *rope/string/whatever* it's supposed to be... hahaha... horrible mummy here... anyways, the kids were amazed with the 2 performers walking with no support up about 10 storey high! :0

 

Here's a overall view of the River Angbao 2015... Nice pair of peacocks this year...  

 

Nice lion dance decors... anyways, this year's theme was featuring old playgrounds in Singapore, maybe due to SG50 celebration this year, abit of the past Singapore here and there... I guess only people of my generation are able to link back and a good chance for the kids to experienced what we had during our childhood...

 

Singa!!  My time... haha... Kids nowadays got no idea who is he... maybe the teachers in school did touch abit of it's history... 

 

 Here's a big slide for the kids to have fun with...

 

 

See 2 of my dearies in front here???.... hahaha... my hubby's favourite section of the River Angbao yearly... 猜灯谜...

 

 Yippie!! A small present for getting the correct answer! :)

 

 

 

My 2 rabbits of the household... hahaha... *sorry, this really does not look like a rabbit! :(*

 

Me & my dragon... ehm... my baby was crying on my shoulder as I had stand too near to the figurine and caused his head to be poked by it... sorry baby... :*

 

My rooster...  

 And my piglet... hahaha...

 

As we did not enter the River Angbao through the main entrance, thus taking this final shot before we leave for the night... :)

2015 CNY eve

Our CNY eve is finally here... And as usual, my 2 primary going kids need to be in their CNY costume on the eve of CNY and am so happy to have gotten them each a new set of clothings from taobao.com this year... nice and cheap!!! See my 2 happy kids in the morning...  oh yes, My Alvan also had his CNY celebration in hi childcare but no chance for me to take a photo of him in his costume cos he refused to put on his and had to be changed into them by his teacher in school... lol

We had invited hubby's Caucasian colleague over for our steamboat reunion lunch at home.  As he's alone here in Singapore and thought to share some festive joy with him. And he was really kind to give my 3 kids ang bao too!!  And glad that he did enjoy the lunch!

We joined our reunion dinner with my hubby's family at Gim Tim restaurant at the Grassroot Club at YCK. And I must say this year's dinner dishes were good (as compared to our reunion dinner with my family last year, which my mum had been complaining since than as expensive and not tasty place to eat!).  Anyways, I thought all of us enjoyed our dinner this time... And my Ashley had the chance of learning how to use the pair of chopsticks while seated next to old grandpa! See how both were so engrossed in their session... haha..

And as usual, my baby would be so into his cars during any mealtimes...

My pretty girl and handsome boy posing with the CNY decor outside the restaurant...

My hubby extended family photos...

Photo taken at the newly renovated grassroots club... its now really nice and grand, especially with the 2 big oranges behind us... hahaha...