New Game

I used to have a mountain bike when I was in high school. I loved to cycle to tuition classes and sometimes I even cycled it to my school in the evening, it's about 40km round trip. I seemed to have lesser time to exercise after I graduated and my mom sold it one day when I was in the US for a business trip. She said it was too dangerous for me to cycle because of the busy traffic nowadays.

Two weeks ago Pat and I decided to get 2 bikes for ourselves. We have a very nice neighbourhood that we can cycle around without having to worry about the traffic and it is also a very good form of exercise that we can do that suits our busy schedule (another excuse to workout after the Equinox membership). We went ahead to look out for it on Saturday afternoon after I tucked Charlotte to sleep and we came back with 2 gorgeous mountain bikes. We fixed a toddler carrier on one of it so that Charlotte can join us and have fun!

She was so excited when we showed it to her and she enjoys the rides on the mountain bike so much that we have to find another distraction to get her down from the bikes every time. Poor mommy and daddy had to go round and round because she didn't want to get down even though we cycled it all around Sg. Ara, Bayan Lepas, up and down the hills.

Last week, we bought her a new helmet for safety purpose since we are cycling outside of the residence area. That's the smallest we could find, size 48-54cm. It still looks so funny on her because her head now looks so much bigger than her body.

This has been our new activity during weekends. Hopefully mommy and daddy will loose a few pounds soon :)

Passport

I took the 1st half off today to go to the Immigration Department to renew my passport and also to make one for Charlotte. We are planning a family vacation this year and since I needed to renew my passport for the upcoming business trip I thought I should get Charlotte's done at the same time.

I took Charlotte for her passport photo shooting 2 days ago. I was prepared to experience the worse struggle as we needed to sit her down properly for the passport and US VISA photo shoot, no kidding right? However, everything went well, in fact everything went so beyond our expectation. Charlotte was very cooperative, she even smiled as the pictures were taken. Too bad I didn't ask for a soft copy, I had to reproduce it for this post...




One very funny thing to share during the photo shooting was when she was seated at the position, I was told to comb her hair behind her ears because the requirement is to have the ears visible. So I moved forward to do as told and as I was doing so she kept pushing me away because I was blocking her from the photographer/camera. She was so ready to be photographed!

Sweet Tooth

Charlotte is showing a fondness of sweet food lately, or just about all toddlers has sweet tooth? She especially enjoys ice-cream very much recently. I still remember her strange facial expression when I shared with her a sundae cone just a few months back but now she wants her own cup of ice-cream every time we pass by Mc Donald's.

I made some cup cakes last weekend and she woke up from her nap as I was preparing the icing. She was very very cranky then but her mood swung to the opposite as soon as I showed her the cup cakes I was making. The icing and toppers were those that caught her attention. She only had a couple of bite on the cake but see how she got all head over heals with the icing and toppers...







Luckily I kept the give-away before hand, she could have finished all the icing and toppers and left the bare cup cakes for the party.

The Little Big Bully

One of the very fun outings during CNY was my sisters in law and brothers in law decided to bring all the children to Baskin Robbins on the 1st night of CNY. There were 11 of us, including adults and children all squeezed into my brother in law's new Toyota Estima (which only meant for 7 seaters). The children were having so much fun watching Shrek II as we went towards the BR at Sg. Dua.

Charlotte, the typical playful and not interested in food toddler always looked out for target to start a game or something. Luckily we had her cousin sister, Samantha along and both of them were having so much fun at BR. I tell ya, there were only a few customers at that time but the entire shop was filled will laughter and screams of Charlotte. Want to know how? Watch this video clip

She was not only chasing after Samantha, but she used the ballon to hit her big cousin sister. You can hear she said "toi! toi! toi!". A sound effect of her own. What a little big bully!

Happy Chinese New Year!

First day of Chinese New Year, Charlotte woke up at 9am! That was the highest record of 26+months! Maybe because she slept with mommy and daddy the night before and felt especially comfortable and safe! We quickly got ourselves ready to start the "pai nien" routine but of course I didn't forget to give a big red packet (ang pow) to Charlotte and took a very nice family picture before we head out.

(CNY - 2008)

Nothing much especial to post about the entire "pai nien" thingy but Charlotte was quite overwhelmed with all the aunties, uncles and cousins. The first 3-4days were nothing much but eating, visiting, gambling, and more eating. Charlotte on the other hand was on diet during that few days. She was more interested in playing and having fun with her cousin brothers and sisters.

Charlotte also had her "fashion show" during this occasion. Chinese Doll, Kung Fu Master, Modern Princess, you can see from these pictures.

The most interesting thing was when we had Yee Sang, I carried her on one hand and used the other to "lou". Charlotte was amazed by the action and was laughing out loud. She must be thinking that the adults are having some sort of fun game. The 2nd time we did that, she decided to do that herself too. It was very difficult to carry her and reach out to the middle of the table while holding her hand to let her "lou". Pat had to bring the entire plate (well that was of course after everybody had taken their share) and let Charlotte do the "lou yee sang" at her own way.

Charlotte definitely has grown a little bit taller, wiser and naughtier too. We bought her a few boxes of "pop pop" this year but didn't think that she would really want to try it. To our surprise, it was kind of like "love at first sight" and she was having a great time throwing it, one box after another.

Time flies without us knowing it. Charlotte will be 3 this year. I can't help but looking back the last 2 years CNY photos of Charlotte as I write this post. I am thankful for everything God gave us.

(CNY - 2005)

(CNY - 2006)

Super Koala Bear Back In Action

I am was in the room preparing for my night meeting last night and I heard Charlotte started crying for mommy soon after I left the living room. In fact, I just came back from Charlotte's weekly music class at the Kindermusik but I had to sneak out to get ready for my night meeting. I knew and expecting to hear a crying baby as soon as she realized that I am out of sight.

Charlotte was like a koala bear before she turned one. I still remember when I left for a business trip to US with a very heavy heart that time. I didn't have a maid but it took Charlotte about 2 months to accept Brenda when she came on Nov 2006. I had a little bit more time and space for myself since then as Brenda is indeed a very capable and sincere. I was able to have a nice bath after came back work without having to rush out half way through, able to have a complete meal without having to carry a crying baby in between, able to drop off Charlotte at MIL's place in the morning without leaving a crying baby behind and with a heavy heart to office and etc.

Lately, all these situations came back. It started very obviously when Charlotte turned two. She is not letting me to have my dinner when I come back from work. She wants me to be around her, or just inches away. She is not letting me to go to toilet, she is not letting me sitting on the dining table in the morning and have breakfast, (I have to bring my breakfast and sit with her on the couch), she is not letting me to go to work (she cries and screams for "mommy come!" as I drove away), and etc. I have to make myself "disappear" every night but hearing her crying for mommy just breaks my heart. I tried to explain to her, such as "mommy needs to go to work, for Charlotte to buy toy and buy nen nen" but her response is always "no!".

A short conversation with her yesterday:

Charlotte: where daddy?
Me: daddy go to work already
Charlotte: where mommy?
Me: mommy here, but mommy also needs to go to work
Charlotte: no!
Me: mommy needs to go to work for Charlotte to buy toy
Charlotte: no no!

(she pause for awhile)

Charlotte: charlotte work also
Me: huh? Charlotte wants go to work also?
Charlotte: yes, Charlotte go work also
Me: Charlotte work where?
Charlotte: queensbay mall *slap head*

Me: Charlotte go queensbay mall work?
Charlotte: yes.............. go run!!!! *double slap head*

I think she didn't get the meaning of mommy and daddy going to work, she must be thinking we go shopping and having fun but not bringing her along.

When we go to the mall, she also and only wants me to carry her (that is after enough of running and exercise). Only after much negotiations (and cries sometimes) either Auntie Brenda or daddy will forcefully carry her away because of my injured wrist. I suffered a wrist injury and I had 2 steroid injections last year alone. I have to be really careful and not to hurt it again as the doctor said next time will be a surgery if the pain comes back. When she sees me wearing my wrist guard, she'll say "mommy hand pain pain". I told her yes, mommy cannot carry Charlotte, mommy hand is painful. Immediately she will ask me to take off the wrist guard, and she'll say "mommy can carry Charlotte" (smart!)

She is so possessive of me that she doesn't let anyone to have my attention sometimes. How? Lately, she will stop anyone to have any conversation with me. If daddy or Auntie Brenda or her grandma talks to me, she will put her palms on my cheeks and turn my face and redirect my full attention to her by keep calling "mommy, mommy, mommy...!!!" or sometimes she says "stop! stop! stop!". She didn't actually has anything to say, she just looked at me and smiled. If I continue chatting away, she will start wailing until she has my full attention.

These are some of Charlotte's Terrible-Two "specialties" so far. I only pray that she will be more understanding when she passes the stage. For now, I just need to accept the fact that my little koala bear is now back in action, this time she is a Super koala bear!