Afternoon Art Walk

After lunch on 31 March 2013, we decided that we would be local tourists and visit a few of Georgetown's famous murals and wire art, in the sweltering afternoon heat.


[The petty trader on Prangin Lane]


[Little Children on a Bicycle on Armenian Street]


[Julian and Justin cooling down with an ice cream]


[The magician next to a bicycle shop on Armenian Street]


[The tiger on Armenian Street]


[Reaching Up (the chair is now missing) on Cannon Street]


[The large hole on Cannon Street]


[A mural of kids in an alley]


[Julian, Jianna, and Justin completing our afternoon walk]

Mung Bean Project

Sometime in early February, Julian brought home from kindy some germinated mung beans (taugeh). Some cotton wool were used as the medium. This popular school science project normally does not go beyond this stage. So, I decided to plant the sprouts in a small pot of soil to see how they would turn out.

It was interesting to watch the sprouts grow into a little plant, and eventually see flowers emerge, and then form beans. It was very educational for the boys. We even took the plant back to school for the other kids to have a look.

The whole process took just over 2 months. At one point, the plant was attacked by many very tiny insects (probably aphids) causing tiny brown spots to appear on the leaves. We sprayed some water-based insecticide to save the plant. However, after bearing a harvest of about 8 pods, the plant whittered and died.


[Mung bean plant]


[Mung bean flower: Notice the diseased leaves (tiny brown spots)]


[Young mung bean pod]


[Ripe mung bean pods and beans]

Jianna at 11 Months

Jianna turned 11 months old on 30(?) February 2013. Here are her updates:

• Last month we forgot to record that she would protest when something is taken away from her. Now she even protests when she is not given something she wants.
• Also missed out last month was that she can respond to her name.
• Now, she can respond to the instruction 'give', when she is willing to give. When she doesn't want to give something up, she would hold the item closer to herself.
• She can direct us to where she wants to go by stretching out her hand. She would make a specific sound to 'tell' us she wants an object that she sees but can't reach by herself.
• She amused us by holding the handphone towards her ear, imitating our use of the phone :-)
• she can say 'um' to indicate she wants to eat something.
• She took her first steps (walking towards Mummy) on 10 February 2013, the first day of Chinese New Year! Hurray!
• She now wants to join her brothers in play; she wants to have whatever toy they are playing with, and whenever Julian lies down on his tummy on the carpet, she would climb on top of his back for a ' horsey ride'.
• She would demand for a share of any goodies her brothers get.
• Her 3rd and 4th top incisors have erupted. The bottom left incisor seems contented to still stay just below the surface of the gum.

[Jianna]


[Jianna: Baby in the Basin]


[Jianna: Diet books are delicious]


[Jianna's baby recital]


[Jianna: "Hellooo?!"]

Julian at 69 Months

Julian turned 69 months old on 28 February 2013. Here are his updates:

• He now frequently retorts/argues back when we chide him about something.
• He takes almost forever to finish his homework especially when it involves repetitive writing, more so when it is Chinese.

["Father" Julian singing the Doxology] 


[Julian at Ah Kong's and Poh Poh's letterbox]


[Julian doing the dishes]


[Julian at Pantai Bersih, Butterworth]

Justin at 43 Months

Justin turned 43 months old on 25 February 2013. Here are his updates:

• He's very good at coming up with excuses/reasons for all sorts of situations to justify his action/words.
• Diet-wise, he's still a picky eater - only eats rice with 'brown' sauce and 'white egg'. Recently he's always saying he's not hungry at meal times, but often ends up finishing the food anyway, with Bart feeding him. Hmmm...wonder if it's a ploy to not eat by himself!

Justin likes watching Wonder Pets. In one episode, the Wonder Pets save the armadillo.
Justin: When the armadillo is scared, it becomes a ball!
Mummy: What happens when it's not scared any more?
Justin: Then it becomes an armadillo again!


[Justin and Grandpa]


[Justin at Pantai Bersih, Butterworth]


[Justin enjoying an ice-cream]

We Can Smell Trouble?

A couple of recent photos of the kids.


[Jianna: My brother can smell trouble...]


[Recipe for trouble: One on top, one lop-sided, and one asking for more...]

Chinese New Year 2013

We had a low-key Chinese New Year this year.

We were back in Menglembu on 9 February 2013 to celebrate Mom's birthday. Throughout the celebration, it was generally a foodie affair as always. However, on 10 February 2013 night, frightened by fire crackers, a pregnant dog came into the porch to hide under our car. The next day, we found seven puppies.


[Family Photo in Menglembu]


[Puppies!]

We left Menglembu on 11 February 2013 to spend some time in Butterworth.

Baby Sunbird

During lunchtime on 1 February 2013, I happened to be back home when I heard a persistent chirping of a sunbird. I thought one had perched itself somewhere on our balcony and was desperately trying to attract attention. Each time I parted the curtains in an effort to locate it, the chirping would stop, only to resume a little later.

Eventually, I noticed that the chirping seemed to be coming from within the living room. After some careful searching, I found a baby olive-backed sunbird hiding in the television cabinet.

I tried using a cloth rag to try to gently move it away but it then landed into one of the children's toybox. Then, it flew to the balcony and perched itself just under the railing. It appeared to be fledging. After some hopping around, it dropped off the balcony. Hopefully it managed to fly.

All the best to you, little birdy!


[The baby sunbird in the television cabinet]


[In the toybox]


[The baby sunbird on the balcony]


[Another shot of the baby sunbird]

Jianna at 10 Months

Jianna turned 10 months old on 30 January 2013. Here are her updates:

• She can wave "bye bye" when instructed. She can nod her head for "yes", and shake her head for "no".
  
• She can give a "flying kiss" although she just puts her hand to her mouth.
  
• Prefers eating solids to drinking milk. So, at day care, she's given porridge or cereal once or twice daily. Over the weekends, she even eats rice with some toufu or egg yolk.
  
• Now that she can stand by herself, she has progressed to walking while holding our hands. She had even tried taking one step by herself.
  
• Her two upper front incisors, and bottom left incisor made their appearance this month.
  
• We discovered she can drink from a straw.

[Jianna standing by herself]


[Jianna]


[Jianna guarding the bookshelf]

Julian at 68 Months

Julian turned 68 months old on 28 January 2013. Here are his updates:

• He likes to "help out" at home, e.g. "wash" the dishes, put clothes in the washing machine, help to read our SMSes, etc.
  
• He can be quite talkative, much to Grandma's amusement.
  

In our effort to introduce Julian to some popular riddles and jokes, here're the consequences:
Mummy: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Julian: I didn't see any chicken!
Mummy: *rolls eyes*

Daddy: Knock, knock!
Mummy: Julian, you must say, "Who's there?"
Julian: Who's there?
Daddy: You're a lady.
Julian: I'm not a lady!
Daddy: *rolls eyes*
Mummy: You must teach him how to say "You're a lady who?!"


[Julian]


[Julian as Fireman Sam]


[Julian with the Christmas decorations at Gurney Paragon]

Papa

JAMES TAN JOO CHIAT

Loving and faithful husband, father, and ah kong.

Born: 24 July 1945
Called Home to be with the Lord: 27 January 2013

May his soul rest in peace. Amen.

Justin at 42 Months

Justin turned 42 months old on 25 January 2013.

Often during bedtime, he would sadly ask, "Why did Poh Poh pass away?" or say "I don't want Poh Poh to pass away." In our prayers, he would often remember to keep track of how long ago Poh Poh had passed away saying, "We pray for Poh Poh who passed away n weeks ago, may she rest in peace."

In the last month, he had been nursing a persistent cough and the occasional fever.


[Justin]


[Justin carries Jianna while Grandma looks on]

Jianna at 9 Months

Jianna turned 9 months old on 30 December 2012. Here are her updates:

• She started clapping her hands on 17 December 2012.
• Her first two teeth appeared this month.
• She likes gnawing on a big piece of apple, consuming quite a bit in the process.
• She can now stand unaided for about 1-2 seconds from a squatting position. We first saw her do this on 26 December 2012.

[Jianna's first teeth] 


[Jianna: Not so lady-like] 


[Hmm... what can I do...]


[Okay, okay... I won't do it again...] 


[Jianna]

Julian at 67 Months

Julian turned 67 months old on 28 December 2012. We recently learned from his babysitter that he has developed a taste (an expensive one! *sweats*) for cod fish.


[I see you!]


[Julian can't resist fooling around]

Christmas 2012

We had a quiet Christmas this year due to a number of factors:

• Mummy (Angie's mother) passed away just over 3 weeks earlier.
  
• Papa is still in hospital (he was admitted the day Mummy passed away).
  
• Christmas this year was on a weekday (Tuesday).
  

The only things Christmas-y that we did was to attend the God Speaking musical at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on the night of 22 December 2012 (even then we could only manage 45 minutes before the boys said they were sleepy and wanted to go home), bought some presents, and attend Christmas morning mass.


[A family photo on Christmas Day]