The last time we spent Lunar New Year in Singapore as a family was 4 years ago.
The Lunar New Year marks the beginning of Spring but for a tropical country like Singapore, it is hard to witness the beauty of this season. A season where everything living springs to life. It is a joyous occasion.

We trotted down Chinatown weeks before the actual day just to soak in the festivity, not the wisest thing to do with a new born baby. I was lucky to be slinging the baby instead of pushing him in his stroller. The crowd made me claustrophobic and to be frank, I was more worried of losing my elder son and suffocating my new born baby than to really enjoy the night. When we finally reached the end of the street, I was relieved to see the open sky and to be alive and breathing air. Having made it to and back from the busy streets of Chinatown during this time is like a milestone reached.

And to get into the mood, we went home, rearranged some furniture, took out some old and abandoned Chinese calligraphy and set up this little corner that is brimming with festivity

As a kid, I was brought up to observe the customs and traditions concerning the celebration of this day, a lot of them perhaps superstitious.  Still by observing some of these customs, whether superstitious or not, we keep alive a part of us.  It is our history and our heritage.  It was how we grew up.  It keeps us connected to our past.  It is part of what makes us unique.

I give scant regard to people who claim that we have no notable history to speak of.  Every great civilization started small.  Every little town in France is a little different, and they will balk at you if give the slightest hint that you think they are the same.  We don’t have to be big, but we can be our own.

During my stay in foreign countries, I have often asked myself what it meant to be a Singaporean.  We didn’t really fit into a pure Chinese mold.  I don’t speak or write Chinese like the mainlanders neither do I speak English like the Americans or the Brits.  I don’t identify with any of them.  I feel most at home here in Singapore.  The hot and humid weather.  My family is here.  And we celebrate, in our own little ways, Chinese New Year.

And so we celebrate and connect again, to one another and to our past.  From the somewhat meaningless lao yusheng, giving ang paos, to the simple act of wishing each other Happy Chinese New Year, we keep a part of us alive for our next generation and teach them the little little things that we so often take for granted.

Tossing raw fish and giving ang baos is our way of expressing to each other our wishes for the new year, like how the french say,”Bon Sante” and the americans say, “Cheers!”.  Paying respect with mandarin oranges may seem dated, but it is that, to show and teach respect.  Ask any kid if getting ang baos are fun.  Even the non-Chinese love it.

And so, I wish everybody the greatest ever New Year ahead, and don’t sweat the little things.  It may be superstitious or meaningless, but have fun, enjoy it anyway!

The baby now weighs at 7 kg, more than twice his birth weight, as heavy as his elder brother when he was 3 month old
His head circumference  and weight are at the 90th percentile but his height is stuck at the 50th percentile
A stout and no longer so little guy and I am beaming with pride when I write this as 99% of him today comes from mama’s milk

A toothless grin or a pouty lips with his brows knit to a frown defined his 2 most prominent facial expressions
The former greets me every morning and it just makes me a tad less tired
He looks very different in each expression

He loves playing with his saliva, blowing bubbles
His elder brother calls him the bubble machine
He does that when he is hungry and when he sees me coming
Somehow he has learned to equate MAMA with FOOD

He seem to have found his voice.
He coos at his hanging mobile
He oohs and ahhs when talked to
He chuckles when his ribs are being poked at
He is much more playful than his elder brother this age

He is able to hold his neck now and he enjoys looking around him when held up
Because of his stronger muscle, we have added some new bulky toys to his meagre collection
A hand-me-down Bumbo chair from his elder brother
A hand-me-down Jumperoo from his twin cousins
A hand-me-down rocker from a dear friend
They came in handy when I need my hands free but he usually won’t want to stay in any for long

He seem very eager to use his leg
His kicks are powerful and he enjoys pushing himself up to a standing position, showing his biggest grin as if with great satisfaction
I thinks he enjoys looking at his surrounding from different positions, lying, sitting, tummy down and standing
Each gives a different view

Just 3 months into his life and I felt that I could understand what the baby wants even though all he does is cry. It is only now that I understand what parenting books means by recognizing babies’ different cries to know what they want.

I definitely can handle Marcus better than when I had Malcolm and because of that, I have been bringing the kids to places on my own. I am less panicky and more relaxed and because the baby sleeps so well when in motion, it is actually less tiring for me to bring them out than to stay at home.

I realised that, when I had Malcolm, I was LEARNING to be a mother.
Spending most of my  time trying to decipher the baby’s cries can be stressful.
Unable to pacify the baby in the public can be stressful.
Having a baby who refuse to sleep in his own cot and waking up every 2 hours for feed can be stressful.
When the baby controls your life, IT IS stressful.

Now, with the experience from my first born and all the lessons learned through the hard ways I am surprise that I could actually ENJOY the baby. He is such a happy baby and his smile is SO contagious.

If only all babies are this easy, I don’t mind having a couple more.

Chinese New Year is round the corner and I just realized that I have all kinds of new year goodies sitting in my kitchen cabinet, ALL HOMEMADE !
NON, il n’est pas moi
It’s my mum
She baked them ALL

She is especially diligent this year, after being freed from looking after her new grandson
Being tied down by my little baby for more than a month, she regained her freedom, as if newly found

But somehow, the preparation for the new year isn’t quite complete without having me to lift a finger

So today, while Malcolm was in school and while the baby was asleep, I decided to do some simple bake

I baked almond nut cookies, more like the chinese style
It was really simple and took me slightly more than an hour to mix, knead, mould and bake
I actually mould them while rocking Marcus in his stroller with my other hand

So without further ado, here’s the really-simple-no-brainer recipe for busy mums like myself

Chinese New Year Almond Nut Cookies

Ingredient
200 g diced almond
250 g plain flour
100 g icing sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
Slightly less than 1 cup of olive oil
1 egg yolk (for glazing)

Method
Mix all dry ingredient
Add in olive oil, in parts, while kneading
Pinch some dough and roll into a ball
Place on baking tray and slightly press on the top to shape it
Brush top of cookie with egg yolk
Baked at 180 deg celsius for 15 minute

Make 50

and here’s a couple of hearts to wow my husband this evening

Here’s wishing everyone a ROARing good year and have fun celebrating Valentine’s Day !

It’s easy to neglect this space

when life is as hectic as now

And the more I neglect

the harder it is to return

It’s like losing the momentum

It’s like becoming foreign

It’s like tipping the balance

a balance I consciously hold

But days passed and weeks passed

And there were more that were left out along the way

And I do miss this space

a place where I could connect, retreat, record and reflect

yet,  I have to relinquish

If, and only if,

I could bear to peel myself off them