Monday, February 13, 2012
Its been 10months
Our Taiwan Adventure (NOV2011)
How we traveled everywhere
We are ready to see the world...of Taipei!
At home with daddy!
My excuse is that we ARE busy but we are busy loving and living life, now with no 3 in tow!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Welcome to our WORLD!
Okay, it's been....months?!? Blame it on Facebook. I can only juggle one
network at a time.
But the recent good news in our family is:
Baby Carson Tobias CHAN has arrived on the 9th April, weighing 3.415kg,
and at a whooping 51cm in length. Am sure those were the legs that put me
in pain the entire pregnancy. Will add more details on his first month in
our world.
For now, he's doing well, all the things a baby does to make his parents
have second thoughts about having ANOTHER baby, eg, lack of sleep,
round the clock feeding, endless soiled nappies, lots of 'pig slaughtering'
cries BUT.....the cooos, the sweet smiles, the amazing tiny features and or
course, when he gazes at you, just because!
We are filled with joy, the girls are thrilled and even grandma is dotting
over him. Welcome to our world, little fella!
network at a time.
But the recent good news in our family is:
Baby Carson Tobias CHAN has arrived on the 9th April, weighing 3.415kg,
and at a whooping 51cm in length. Am sure those were the legs that put me
in pain the entire pregnancy. Will add more details on his first month in
our world.
For now, he's doing well, all the things a baby does to make his parentshave second thoughts about having ANOTHER baby, eg, lack of sleep,
round the clock feeding, endless soiled nappies, lots of 'pig slaughtering'
cries BUT.....the cooos, the sweet smiles, the amazing tiny features and or
course, when he gazes at you, just because!
We are filled with joy, the girls are thrilled and even grandma is dottingover him. Welcome to our world, little fella!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Happy Birthday Mathena (7th)
Our family celebration with the Wongs for Mathena's 7th, at Manhattan Fish Market, City Square
"This year took soooo long to come around!", this was Mathena major complain as she started 'waiting' for the birthday since last October!!! As a very patience mom, I remember at least 1-2 a month when my dear baby will ask me, 'Mommy, when is my birthday coming?' My answer will be, "9 months more dear.."
Being our truly 'laughter in her heart' child, it's tough to say 'no!' to her. Mathena beams in life, in joy and savours so much of life in a matter-of-fact manner. Nothing phases her out, nothing stops her nor discourages her. For example, I was already feeling bad as I knew around her birthday, the weekends will be FULL of activities from our commitments etc. I struggle to even 'squeeze' in a timing slot for her to have a cake.
Mathena says, "Mom, what about JUST a playdate and I invite my friends?". I answered, 2 friends! And, there we had a little get together of 2.5hrs of her bestest friends. Right after we rushed home from puppetry practice in church. Zoom zoom!
Just when I thought all the birthday nice-ties were done, my dear girl said, 'Mom, my classmates all say that they DO NOT like cupcakes for birthdays'. I was thinking of just ordering and bringing them to the class on her birthday.... "They ALL prefer goodie bags!!!"
This 7-year old has now, in her short little time on earth, dance ballet for 4.5years, have learnt drama for 1 year, has practice swimming for 3 years, have been speaking Chinese since 2 years ago, is now reading mini paperbacks (100-150 words per page) and sings on stage for church. She's travelled to UK. Scotland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and of course Australia. Isn't she just the go-getter in our family. We love you heaps and wishes for more adventures with you the following year. Happy Birthday my sweet 'baby' girl!
Friday, July 09, 2010
LADIES NIGHT~ ChanFamilyVersion
Now, before anyone conjures up images of a bunch of ladies prancing around town,
party mood and without reservations, allow me to explain that this 'Ladies Night' (LN) is
entirely and altogether for a different purpose.
Being a parent of 2 girls, we've been reminded again and again our God-given role
and responsibility to bring them up as GOD's intended gift to the world
around them. To achieve this, we have to preserve them long enough so that their
hearts and minds can be vessels for GOD's work in His kingdom. Many times, I've
been given the burden plus the prompting that we are parenting, not for our own
glory, not for the country and even more, not for ourselves.
Hence, my cooking up of LN.
My happy 9yo, thoroughly enjoying this special time with mommy!
After much trembling, seeking and praying, I came up with this idea to regularly
take my girls out (working on No 1 first!) with the intention to talk and discuss heart
to heart, mother to child about life, about growing up and also about the many 'deep'
personal issues little girls face when they are growing up.
(Some will call it the feathers & the stings, get it?)
Anything crafty and fun!
I am recording this in our blog as it is a HUGE milestone in our lives. For one thing,
this series of discussions are been too loooong delayed and it is heart wrenching to see and know
that our girls are growing up. Another reason for doing this, is also to encourage other
moms to take this challenge to recapture and preserve their girls for as long as they
possibly can. It is about building the trust, the relationship and the foundation so that when the girls need a place of solace to run to, mommy can be their choice companion.
Having fun with bubbles!
Just in case anyone is thinking that we are living in some sort of bubble and we
have some weird idea of keeping our girls in a crystal cocoon. We are NOT! What
we are merely doing is taking back and acting on our rightful responsibility as
parents to teach into our kids, our values, our morals and mostly, what the Bible
(and what we believe GOD) wants us to have and know. Doing nothing is letting the media and the world 'teach' our kids. Doing nothing is giving way to letting
the children take opinions of other people's values. We don't want to do NOTHING!
Letitia is my cuddle-girl. She never gets enough of it, phew!
My greatest fear is that one day my girls will no longer believe that I love
them, GOD loves them and they are heading for the '2nd best' (compromise) in life.
I am praying that my time with them will allow them into my thoughts, my heart
and build trusts/confidence in them. I want to walk alongside them as they
learn to stand up against the corrupted values they confront each day. I want them to
know that no matter how tough life gets (gets into trouble?), my love for them means that I will not desert them. The consequences will still follow but
my time and my support and my cuddles will heap on.
She's the happiest when we hang out as a family.
Now, how is LN done?
Firstly, set and make the commitment to regularly go out (once a 2-3 week)and take turns planning. I have asked Letitia to bring a notebook (top secret
for her eyes only) along for her to take notes and thoughts down. We'll chat
firstly about any concerns brought up during school life. Eg. why were the boys
so into pictures of naked ladies (are you shocked the the exposure your 9yos
are getting at school?), why do other kids watch the 9pm chinese adult soap
series etc. Then, I will prayerfully talk about her, what she is going through now
as a 9yo child physically and what to expect. From basic biological views to
physical changes. I am covering only 1-2 points (I relate them together) and
I know it's enough. It's information overload and the notebook allows her to get back to it during the week to ask/write questions or thoughts she needs to talk about or share. The time required is about 2 hours, inclusive of some food (of course! Thanks Monica for your reminder!) plus somewhere quite private and not too noisy.
One of Letitia's favourite food: 小龙包 （Steam Pork Dumplings)
Letitia chose the restaurant and we went to a nearby Din Tai Fung. She was happy to just slurp at the dumplings one at a time. It is quite a joy to see her enjoy her food (I was told this will all change when they get figure conscience) and hoping that she'll always have a healthy appetite. Come on, she's hardly overweight, right? There's room for expansion!
As I'd like to end the evening with something fun, it's not hard to search for fun and simple activities to do. Walks, crafts, ice cream/dessert are some. This allowed us some winding down conversation and I will mentally remind her of our love (as parents) for her and that she can come to us, anytime and for ANY reason.
So there. My records of this new journey with Letitia. Mathena will get her turn when she turns 9yo. Meanwhile, I am already praying and thinking of the next topic and thoughts to chat about (been reading 2-3books at the same time) and also thinking of a nice 'quieter' place instead of the one like Din Tai Fung. Friday nights may not be the choice too as the restaurants are packed and everyone's hungry! On this note, I want to encourage ALL moms I personally know, to start thinking about what 'plans' you have, what direction you (and your husband) have thought of with regards to talking to your children about the birds and the bees. It does not have to be just ONE talk. It does not have to be a lecture. It does not have to be like the above. It however, has to be a deliberate EFFORT. It also has to be a lifestyle, an attitude and mostly the relationship (parent with child) has to be built and built SOLID too. It still rings in my head, the words of Josh McDowell when he shared in our church, 'TRUTH without relationship leads to REJECTION, RULES without RELATIONSHIP leads to REBELLION, Discipline without RELATIONSHIP leads to Anger!"
Pray for our next LN!
party mood and without reservations, allow me to explain that this 'Ladies Night' (LN) is
entirely and altogether for a different purpose.
Being a parent of 2 girls, we've been reminded again and again our God-given role
and responsibility to bring them up as GOD's intended gift to the world
around them. To achieve this, we have to preserve them long enough so that their
hearts and minds can be vessels for GOD's work in His kingdom. Many times, I've
been given the burden plus the prompting that we are parenting, not for our own
glory, not for the country and even more, not for ourselves.
Hence, my cooking up of LN.
My happy 9yo, thoroughly enjoying this special time with mommy!After much trembling, seeking and praying, I came up with this idea to regularly
take my girls out (working on No 1 first!) with the intention to talk and discuss heart
to heart, mother to child about life, about growing up and also about the many 'deep'
personal issues little girls face when they are growing up.
(Some will call it the feathers & the stings, get it?)
Anything crafty and fun!I am recording this in our blog as it is a HUGE milestone in our lives. For one thing,
this series of discussions are been too loooong delayed and it is heart wrenching to see and know
that our girls are growing up. Another reason for doing this, is also to encourage other
moms to take this challenge to recapture and preserve their girls for as long as they
possibly can. It is about building the trust, the relationship and the foundation so that when the girls need a place of solace to run to, mommy can be their choice companion.
Having fun with bubbles!Just in case anyone is thinking that we are living in some sort of bubble and we
have some weird idea of keeping our girls in a crystal cocoon. We are NOT! What
we are merely doing is taking back and acting on our rightful responsibility as
parents to teach into our kids, our values, our morals and mostly, what the Bible
(and what we believe GOD) wants us to have and know. Doing nothing is letting the media and the world 'teach' our kids. Doing nothing is giving way to letting
the children take opinions of other people's values. We don't want to do NOTHING!
Letitia is my cuddle-girl. She never gets enough of it, phew!My greatest fear is that one day my girls will no longer believe that I love
them, GOD loves them and they are heading for the '2nd best' (compromise) in life.
I am praying that my time with them will allow them into my thoughts, my heart
and build trusts/confidence in them. I want to walk alongside them as they
learn to stand up against the corrupted values they confront each day. I want them to
know that no matter how tough life gets (gets into trouble?), my love for them means that I will not desert them. The consequences will still follow but
my time and my support and my cuddles will heap on.
She's the happiest when we hang out as a family.Now, how is LN done?
Firstly, set and make the commitment to regularly go out (once a 2-3 week)and take turns planning. I have asked Letitia to bring a notebook (top secret
for her eyes only) along for her to take notes and thoughts down. We'll chat
firstly about any concerns brought up during school life. Eg. why were the boys
so into pictures of naked ladies (are you shocked the the exposure your 9yos
are getting at school?), why do other kids watch the 9pm chinese adult soap
series etc. Then, I will prayerfully talk about her, what she is going through now
as a 9yo child physically and what to expect. From basic biological views to
physical changes. I am covering only 1-2 points (I relate them together) and
I know it's enough. It's information overload and the notebook allows her to get back to it during the week to ask/write questions or thoughts she needs to talk about or share. The time required is about 2 hours, inclusive of some food (of course! Thanks Monica for your reminder!) plus somewhere quite private and not too noisy.
One of Letitia's favourite food: 小龙包 （Steam Pork Dumplings)Letitia chose the restaurant and we went to a nearby Din Tai Fung. She was happy to just slurp at the dumplings one at a time. It is quite a joy to see her enjoy her food (I was told this will all change when they get figure conscience) and hoping that she'll always have a healthy appetite. Come on, she's hardly overweight, right? There's room for expansion!
As I'd like to end the evening with something fun, it's not hard to search for fun and simple activities to do. Walks, crafts, ice cream/dessert are some. This allowed us some winding down conversation and I will mentally remind her of our love (as parents) for her and that she can come to us, anytime and for ANY reason.
So there. My records of this new journey with Letitia. Mathena will get her turn when she turns 9yo. Meanwhile, I am already praying and thinking of the next topic and thoughts to chat about (been reading 2-3books at the same time) and also thinking of a nice 'quieter' place instead of the one like Din Tai Fung. Friday nights may not be the choice too as the restaurants are packed and everyone's hungry! On this note, I want to encourage ALL moms I personally know, to start thinking about what 'plans' you have, what direction you (and your husband) have thought of with regards to talking to your children about the birds and the bees. It does not have to be just ONE talk. It does not have to be a lecture. It does not have to be like the above. It however, has to be a deliberate EFFORT. It also has to be a lifestyle, an attitude and mostly the relationship (parent with child) has to be built and built SOLID too. It still rings in my head, the words of Josh McDowell when he shared in our church, 'TRUTH without relationship leads to REJECTION, RULES without RELATIONSHIP leads to REBELLION, Discipline without RELATIONSHIP leads to Anger!"
Pray for our next LN!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
What Dreams Are Made of
Today was a super tiring super rewarding day. Our ENTIRE family, Alex included workup early to head out in preparation for the girl's dance school's 38th Anniversary concert. This is the first ever concert we've done in Singapore since we arrived.
Letitia was part of a 3-part Chinese dance troupe doing the ribbon dance and she's practiced a whole term. The dance performance was spectacular and she looked like a proper acrobatic dancer minus all the bends and twists.
Alex was asked to help out with the photo taking of the concert, post and pre rehearsal etc. He did a pretty good job and even roped in his camera buddy to help enhance the experience. We've got these pics to keep for a long time to come..
I am so amazed at how Letitia can still hold a smile and happy attitude amidst all this hard work. She did not miss a step within the entire series of steps....I would be tripping all over the stage!
Mathena was dancing a midst 6yos and some 7yos. She's a 6yo waiting patiently to turn 7. She looks a sight in this outfit and this dance is aptly named "Classical ballet".
Don't they ALL look sooooo professional!!
Mathena managed to laugh and giggle most of the time, enjoying herself on the stage.
Well done! My dear girls, mommy and daddy are soooo proud of you both!
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