gb's bday dinner @ huat kee restaurant!

*hoot* im having birthday party/dinner every month!
this time round, its gb's *ahem* 30th bday dinner!
him being him, we got very scared trying to think of where to eat and what to get him. LOL.
in the end, a fred perry shirt plus yummy dinner @ a teochew restaurant on amoy street did the job!
as usual, we were the noisiest bunch there. :P

photos:

zm, me & candice

super yummy food! we felt like we were attending a wedding with the dishes. LOL.

mandatory group photo. look at the birthday boy's grin!

after dinner, we went for some drinks around ann-siang hill area.
this rooftop bar called yingyang which we have to climb up 3/4 storeys! *pant*
it was a great evening/night with the gang again!

oh oh, caught "no strings attached" with candice and tanny before the dinner.
it was surprisingly good!
for once, aston kucher actually has good chemistry with his female lead!
both natalie and him did such a good job that we believe in love again! *awwww*

ok. a good saturday spent with kakis again!
thanks to my lovely mum & hubbi who babysit the boys!

updates on the boys

黄虫虫：

darn the stomach flu virus!
yz has been unwell since last wed! :(
his childcare called me on wed noon that he was running a fever and to fetch him home.
quickly rushed back to do so during lunch time. on wed, the poor boy puked 3-4 times, LS twice and fever reaching as high as 39.6 degree celcius!
thursday was worse, he viomitted twice (subsiding) but LS non-stop during the day and fever continued to yo-yo up and down.
went to kkh at night when the meds from GP didnt seem to work.
doc @ kkh said his is a case of stomach flu and just have to let the virus runs its course.
meantime, make sure he stays hydrated from all the loss of body fluid from LS. :(
friday, he spent it at my mum's place and though no more viomitting, the LS continued.... fever was on-going still though the range is coming down to 38+.
on both sat/sun, he continued to LS though no more fever. the poor boy lost almost a kg in just a few days time.
so sad to see his clothes hang loose on his thin frame and his previous tight-fitting XL diapers fitting his small butt again. sigh.
brought his to PD for review this morning and PD changed his meds again.
seems to work this time or maybe he is already on his way to recovery.
he LS 3 times in the morning before seeing the doc at ard noon.
after the meds at 1pm, no more LS till now! though a low grade fever seems to creep back again. @_@
really hope tht he is well on his way to full recovery!

really broke my heart when taking care of him these few days. really, health can never be compromised!
there was once the tummy ache was so painful he called out in pain and said:"妈咪， 帮我！"
a helpless me can only asked him:"妈咪要怎样帮你？"
when he replied:"我不懂, 妈咪sayang我 快点！", i can only teared silently. :(

and he was so sad today during bathing time today.
when i asked him why he is sad, he just said he's sad for bring sick.
the whole ordeal must be a harrowing one for him.

黄豆豆：

the lil' froggy has learnt to walk!
and crawling around on fours are yesterday news to him.
so now, he insisted to walk anywhere, anytime! and the real work begins for us caretakers! @_@
just this afternoon, he lost his balance and fell down, hitting on his mouth.
his lower pearlies cut his upper lips and there was blood! sigh.
luckily, the bleeding subsided after a min or two and the swelling went down in a few hours time too.
我家两个宝贝总让我过日子过得提心吊胆！

buy less, buy better!

i realised i didnt set any resolutions for 2011.
perhaps i was too caught up with activities in dec mth.
or i was just too depressed with the busy jan working mth coupled with the chinese zodiac forecast that bunny year will be a sucky one for roosters.
but if there is 1 resolution worth keeping for the new year, it will be this one:-
BUY LESS, BUY BETTER.

especially for me who have plans for this year which all involve cash outlays. @_@

#1: no surprise to most who know me, hubbi and me have plans to shift back to the east!
hopefully by end of this year.
so the more we save for the new house, the merrier!

#2: i have been toying with the idea of getting myself a good classic watch when i enter the next stage of my life:-
turning 30- for the longest time.
my trusty omega has served me well for the past 4 years+ but i guess im ready for another one. :P
thanks to a husband who knows a wee bit about watches, im able to narrow down pretty fast to the brand/model that is suitable for me.

initially, the frivolous me wanted a J12. who can resist such a chic-looking watch!
that is, until (almost all) my friends started protesting against my preferred choice!
what ceramic looks like plastic lah.
what quartz watches suck lah.
what chanel is a fashion brand and overpriced lah. blah blah blah bleh.
sigh. the quartz part is actually also big no-no to myself even.
so i went intensive window-shopping and research for a few weeks on brands like cartier, rolex, AP even.
eventually, i settled for this beauty!!


Rolesor (everose gold/stainless steel) oyster bracelet,
everose gold domed bezel,
boy size - 31mm
pink dial

pardon my detailed specs of the watch, i did a lot of research one ok!
can come ask me for some advice if you interested in getting a rolex time piece wahaha. very thich-skinned me.
rolex has so many combinations that its mind-boggling to just decide on a design to buy!
AND if you only interested in buying from authorised dealers (aka hour glass, cortina etc), all of them have limited pieces (normally all on display in the shop already)!
AND you cant order a specific design unlike other brands like AP/panerai etc.
SO its really a hunting game for rolex.
i wonder if the pricing is controlled by limiting the supply? must be!

anyway, i was quite specific on my watch being boy-size, having 2 tone rose gold/steel and most importantly of all, a pink face!
must highlight here that this shade of pink is only available to rolesor everose bracelet to compliment the rose gold. wahahaha.
frivolous special feature to bullshit frivolous buyers like me!
SO when i saw this baby one day, i decided to mai tu liao!
as the story goes, the rest is history.
this is a VERY early birthday present from myself according to candice. LOL.

so now im a berry happy woman with a berry light wallet.
oh well.
psst.. i see see look look for my next watch already! wahaha.
but getting it will only be another 5 years or more down the road!

#3: travel!
at the end of every year, irritating me will pester the husband on our upcoming new year travel plans!
so for 2011, the tentative plans are HK trip in Mar (confirmed!) and hokaiddo (fingers crossed that we can do it!) in Q3!
money printer spoilt for the time being, so i need to save up!
im treating my mum for this HK trip too. and this auntie requested only for SQ and hotels in TST. @_@
两人份的费用真不少！

so how should i curb the shopaholic in me to stop buying and start saving?!
as i said: BUY LESS BUY BETTER.
i figure i should buy stuff that add value instead of bulk to my wardrobe.
true, buying tons does bring me joy.
but to be honest, most of those impulse buys i bought are very similar to what i already have.
not to mention some of them are a lil' ill-fitting, low quality or stayed hidden in the wardrobe for the longest time!

i still do shopping - the joy of browsing and searching for items that suit you cant be missed!
just that i check-out items much lesser since the start of the new year! :)
so how am i doing so far?

jan - coat from zara is a steal. slashed 60% from original price and i added a chio-looking cold-wear to my wardrobe!
previously, i only layer on the usual run-of-the-mill cardis or a boring bach coldwear jacket when i go travelling to cold countries.
so value or bulk? value, definitely!

feb: my watch!! definitely a good investment.
the month is not over yet. lets see what else i'll be getting to update my wardrobe!

hope some of you out there can try and benefit from this new resolution of mine too!

ah boon's bday party @ new majestic hotel

huiwen booked a night @ the new majestic hotel for her big 3-0 (yes, most of my friends turning 30 this year, including myself!) bday! :)
the room's theme was "watch and be watched" and true to it, there were alot of mirrors in the room!
as usual, i brought 1 of the boy along and it was yz this time round.
managed to (barely) juggle between keeping the notti tot in check and having a blast with the girls.
it was a great afternoon/evening for me!


cheers to 12 years of friendship.
has it been that long?!

lost again in the reel world

in the past 3 weeks, i've watched the following:
1) Black swan
2) The king's speech
3) Snatch
4) Moon
5) Jerry Maguire
6) The fighter
(not in order)

sacrificing my beauty sleep and making my already-dark-eye-circles darker. @_@
its time to spend my time on other more "constructive" stuff.

MJ+blackjack. what will we do without them?

this is our 3rd year running gathering @ ah d's hse!
and for this year, i gambled the whole day/night away! unbelievable!
hubbi dropped me off at dan's house at 10+am and from then, we had MJ alllllll the way till 7pm!
(of cos, we took a break for a fast lunch. LOL)

after yummy dinner cooked by dan's mum, we started our routine blackjack session from 8+ till 11+pm!
after blackjack, we had lou hei from crystal jade. yum yum! :)
soooo tired from all the gambling. and nett win so little only.
80% of my winnings went to the cab fare after. wahaha.
still, all in the name of good fun!


us with oily faces after blackjack & lou hei.
its almost midnight and we've to work the next day ok!

新年快乐，身体健康！

its peanut's 1st CNY and wormy's 3rd one!
this rabbit CNY is wayy too early in Feb!
apart from the good cool weather and the long break from work, i dont feel particularly excited or happy.
most probably due to my non-stop crazy hectic busy jan at work.
i was still busy at my month-end closing on tue/wed!!
it was really a blessings that my team can go off at 1pm! :)
we were initially told beforehand to "standby" till 5pm in order to rush out the reports to corporate side. bleh.

went to fetch the husband and elder son from childcare after that.
went home to do last minute housework chores since no cleaning allowed on CNY day1!
managed to sneak in a short nap too! i really need it!

this year, mum didnt cook as we had our reunion dinner @ soup restaurant @ suntec city!
the yusheng sucks! but the rest of the dishes were good.
almost all the shops were closed so we left home after dinner.
had a relaxed night just lazing in front of the tv and letting the boys stayed past their bedtimes!
in the end, they dozed off to sleep in minutes at 10+pm!
and of cos, i K.O.ed with them. LOL.
thanks to hardworking papa for settling peanut's night feed and changing his night-time diapers!

some photos of CNY eve:

the boys have matching tees! but super hard for them to pose and had a decent shot!


i took separate shots with them. dont bother to try taking 1 with them both inside! too hard!

CNY day 1
same routine for the longest time!
reached my in-laws house around 11am. catch-up with hubbi's other siblings.
had mee-sua for lunch.
then we left at 2+pm for my maternal grandmother house (just that she;s no longer around) for gathering with my uncles, cousins etc! :)
yz had so much fun there that he cried when we left after dinner, @_@

this year, i didnt play blackjack for too long.
long enough for me to lose $20 though. lei diao. haha.
just need to jaga the 2 boys from time to time to have a decent game.
though they were in "many" good hands. LOL

some photos:

my lil' ah beng with his gold necklace

father and sons

separate shots with the boys again. and peanut missing 1 shoe. wahaha

@ in laws house. why this NCL so tan!!! for the nth time!!

the boys! looking very different in these shots.

this 不自量力的小青蛙 learning to walk.

to his credit, he can managed 5-6 steps if he tries hard enough

ok. hope the rest of my new year be happy and HUAT ah!

the wedding saga continues......

yz was looking intently at hubbi's and my wedding photo frame on the tv console for the longest time.
finally, he turned around and asked:" 怎麽办！？我还没有结婚嘞！"

this is sibei funny.
why is a 3yo+ boy getting so upset being single?!

the son cracks me up!! part 2

1) *driving past a random office building*
yz:"这个house 很美."
me:"this is not a house, this is a building."
yz:"huh? 这是bob the builder build 的虾？"
me: .................................

2) bo liao me asking me random questions again.
me:"baby, 你要跟谁结婚？"
yz:"我要跟妈咪结婚！"
*very gleeful me*
hb: "你为什麽不要跟爸爸结婚？"
yz:"不可以！你结婚了嘛！"
hb: ?!?!?!? "妈咪也是结婚了嘛，她跟爸爸结婚了"
me:"对咯，妈咪跟爸爸结婚了！"
a very distraught yz:"虾！我还没有结婚嘞！"

the secret garden

sometimes when you are lucky, you stumble upon movie gems that let you understand that teeny weeny bit more about this mystery thingy called LOVE.
shows like "closer", "500 days of summer", "benjamin button" etc.
and yesterday, i watched yet another of such show.
"jerry maguire", that is.
im going to take back all the nasty things ive ever said about tom cruise.
he was so brilliant in the show!
i take comfort from the show that im not the only one still struggling to find out who i am and what exactly i am looking for in a relationship.

and of cos the song.
just hearing the melody brought tears to my eyes.
even before i've watched this show before, springsteen's voice never fail to amaze me!
She'll let you in her house
If you come knockin' late at night
She'll let you in her mouth
If the words you say are right
If you pay the price
She'll let you deep inside
But there's a secret garden she hides

She'll let you in her car
To go drivin' round
She'll let you into the parts of herself
That'll bring you down
She'll let you in her heart
If you got a hammer and a vise
But into her secret garden, don't think twice

You've gone a million miles
How far'd you get
To that place where you can't remember
And you can't forget

She'll lead you down a path
There'll be tenderness in the air
She'll let you come just far enough
So you know she's really there
She'll look at you and smile
And her eyes will say
She's got a secret garden
Where everything you want
Where everything you need
Will always stay
A million miles away

if you've watched and liked jerry maguire, you may consider watching "elizabethtown".
written and directed by the same person for jerry maguire.

life is fragile.

recently for this month, been hearing cases where people just require medical attention all of a sudden.
and january is not even over yet!
seems like 2011 has a shaky start.
hope it will get better in time and all those i know will be blessed with good health.
cant help but feel that life is fragile and illnesses can hit anyone.

maintain a relatively healthy diet and lifestyle.
most importantly, maintain a happy and positive mindset.
dont get too stressed up over irrelevant stuff.
dont sweat the small stuff!
ditch the type A personality!

i will try my best to do so.
and get my loved ones to do so too.

today i 破功了！
after 3 weeks of no shopping (yes, i didnt buy a single piece of clothing/shoes!), i bought something today.
but the purchase is very justified one (like all my purchases, of cos)! :P
its a marked-down coat from zara!
best to be worn overseas in cool/cold weather. :)
saving it up for a (near?) future trip. hehehe.
from $230 to $90.
you do the maths!
*wee*

will it be another 3 weeks before you see a post labelled "shopping"?
i certainly hope so!

我的小宝贝一岁大了！

my lil' precious turned 1 year old on 18.01.2011!
no longer a baby but a toddler now!
motor skills wise, peanut is considered more advanced than gor gor.
he can stand w/o support for awhile and walks 2-3 steps before going down to his usual crawling position. :)
he can throw things well (thats a milestone, okay!).
his fav. activity is to take anything and pretend its a phone and yak with it! LOL.

speech wise, he's not as good as wormy at the same age.
he will ramble off a "papa" or "baobao" when he's really desperate for us to carry him.
heard him utter a "mama" though im sure its not for me.
other times, its the usual screaming and shouting for his way.

to be honest, i did not offer peanut as much effort and time as i did with wormy for his first year.
somemore, overwhelmed with the sudden stress and fatigue from handling 2 kids alone with hubbi most of the evenings/nights & weekends for the past 1 year, i have been feeling uptight and worn out when with the kids.
till i almost forget the fact that we can derive pure joy from their simple antics.

now that peanut is growing up well and getting more and more manageable, we are also easing into the routine.
i enjoy my time with the kids now much better, esp. my lil' 包！
he puts a smile on me without fail when we spend time together in the evenings. :)

豆豆， 健健康康得长大。
要快乐开心！

for him, we just had a simple cake cutting session at home before bringing him over to my mum's place for a simple gathering on the actual day.


我一岁了！

我跟妈妈一样有面包脸！


both the boys gave funny faces! @_@

he just want to grab the cake!! no decent shots! bah!

the son cracks me up!!

funny exchanges today:

1)
bo liao me: "虫虫，你要红包，bah kwa 还是 sweet sweet?"
(quite sure the answer will be either one of the last 2 choices)
son:"我要红包！"
me:"huh? 为什麽？"
(wondering how come he wants money at this age?!)
son:"因为红包里面有Biscuits 还有 chocolates 嘛！"
me: ??!?!!

2)
was watching a random advert about a new food show with Kumar in it.
son frowning:"我不喜欢这个 auntie."
me: (laughing out like mad) :" 为什麽不喜欢他？"
son:"因为他有ruan ruan 的头。"
me:" huh?!?!?! 讲好好！什麽ruan ruan 的头？！ 你是说他的头发乱乱？！你不喜欢？"
son :"不是! 他的头软软的!我不喜欢!"
(and then he started shaking his head abit like kumar when he was talking to show me!!!)
i LOL!!!!!!

someone turned 34 one weeks plus back!

its getting harder and harder to think of a pressie for the man in recent years.
there s only so much you can buy for a guy and somemore a guy with so little wants like ah long.
his wallet was bought by me just last year so nah.
i dont believe in buying shoes for my partner. no running away from me! wahaha.
so in the end, its back to the other "staple" for guys - belts!
luckily, the old braun bauffel i've got him 3 years back has a crack near the buckle from frequent bending.
so time to get him a new belt! if not, im really clueless what to get him!

after much window shopping, decided that dunhill's selection is slightly nicer than the others.
and more suitable for him bah.

and of cos, being safe boring me, brought him to choose the design himself.
really cant risk him disliking the design for the price tag!


chio right!

YR's photobook!

so glad that all the late nights were worth it!
managed to make a photobook for yr's 1st year just like yz! :)

grace, zm & my bday dinner @ tawandang!

full attendance for our gang yesterday!
candice recommended this thai-german resturant @ suntec which serves the best pork knuckles i ever eaten!
we ordered soo many food but i didnt take any photos of those. wahah.
we had pork knuckles, grilled seabass, grilled squid, tom yam soup, stir-fried chicken w cashew nut, german sausages, mussles etc!
and 4 litres of beer between us which aint alot lah. just ard 1 pint for each of us. :P


me, tanny & candice

jx bought this bakerzin cake for us! :)

my 29th bday cake! their... 30th bday cake. :P

group photo again.

after dinner, i joined the "usual" gang aka gb, dan, grace & ser for some drinking.

we had champagne & chivas.

quite yucky on hindsight that we drank 3 type of alcohol in a night. *blech*

it's a fun night through & through!

dinner @ brotzeit

brought hubbi to try brotzeit finally after the longest time.

an advanced bday dinner for the man since again, its hard to have a decent one with 2 kids around on the actual day this friday.

good that he enjoyed the food and to quote from him, "a pleasant surprise". LOL.

this is a lot coming from ah long. if you know him at all. wahaha.

黄豆豆开始像妈咪了吗！？

i am going to take a break from shopping!

mark my words, im going to do just so.
no kidding.

ever since i've launched myself into the ongoing year-end sales, ive been buying too much!
even though i've been going round the same few brands, i still ended up buying too much!
as most of you would have know by now, zara sale started on thursday.
and as expected, i've managed to visit the great world, vivo, ion and liat's branches since then!
this is all very terrible.

so what's the damage?!
a blouse, a romper top, a corduroy pants, a dress, a pair of flats, 2 pairs of heels+
a jacket for yr, a tee & a short-sleeved shirt for yz.
oh, and i got hubbi his bday pressie (another post bah) and a dress from A/X.
*gulp gulp*

ok, im going to take a hiatus from shopping. for at least 2-3 weeks!
since i will be real busy at work with closing and audit anyway. :P

anyway, speaking about shoes.
ive been getting quite a number of new pairs this month, hence i did some housekeeping and threw away old ones.
then i realised i tend to go back to the same style/color when it comes to shoes!

see!

most of them (ok, these account for less than half of my shoes collection..) are either bach or grey!
i guess i need more variety from now on!
umm, i mean the next time (not in the near future!) when i buy shoes!

ok, last of all i hope the husband wont get to read this disgusting post.