aug 22 - Kristin's one!

We had a little celebration for Kristin at our home group tonight. Not many little guests, just mainly Daddy and Mommy's church friends in Frankfurt.

It was a truffle chocolate cake - first taste of alcohol already???

We later realised that we didn't take a family photo with the cake at all. So we got Kristin a second cake that weekend and decided to keep it strictly to family only. Only one grandparent was around... compared with Bryan's 1st birthday, this one was a very quiet one.

summer visit

We haven't posted any news on us for a long time. Reason of silence is mainly the visits we've been getting. My PILs are in town. But life goes on as usual. After all, A is posted here not for holidays. He's got to work. And me too! I need to run a household. Any SAHM will tell you what a feat it is to manage a household and care for two very young children.
We have been making short trips to places near by. Otherwise, it would be great disappointment for the visitors if they came such a long way and yet what they saw was the four walls of our humble home. Here's a short drive out of Frankfurt just to catch the last of the cherry seasons. And this is K picking cherries. :)

present from daddy and mommy

Daddy and Mommy couldn't figure out what to get him... We owe you a present, son...

But we thought a day at the amusement park would be fun. And yes, it was.

yeah, i'm three!

This wasn't exactly an immediate family affair. My parents-in-law were around, my mother was around. Pity that my father couldn't be here or Bryan would have been even happier...

This wasn't a big birthday bash either... compared with his 1st and 2nd Birthday parties, this was certainly a quiet one. But it's one where Bryan's most expressive - check out those facial expressions... pity that he didn't have the big extended family to celebrate this special day with him this year.

happy anniversary...

Like my silver rose? It's from my good-looking Polish helper, Katie. It's been four good years of blissful marriage and counting... can't believe that it's only been four years coz Alan and I both feel that we've been together for eons! (Read: happy times!) Can't really think of what we can do on this day. I guess Alan and I are just not very particular about celebrating occasions. Maybe it's a sign of growing old... Well, we've stoppped asking for cold ice water in restaurants. Like older people, we prefer warm water... sigh, old already liao!

When Alan came home, he asked me if I bought him a present. I said, "Er, no. Why?" And then he said, "So we are quits coz I didn't get you anything either." So that's what we are. But surely we don't have to wait for an anniversary to give each other something.

grandpa is here...

Look at how happy Kristin is when Grandpa's back! Bryan didn't even cry this morning when Grandpa woke him up for school. Of course, he didn't want to go to school coz there were so many new toys and goodies from Singapore. We had our first breakfast on the balcony today... oops... no pics! Haha... that means we'll have to do it again very soon. :)

perfect weather for a stroll...

It's beautiful spring weather here in Frankfurt! About 24 deg C warm during the day and about 20 deg C warm in the evening. So we have been walking around without jackets!!!! It's just perfect weather for travelling coz it's warm enough to be without jackets and cool enough not to perspire. And lots of walking and fresh air even does the lungs some good. Also, this is the time when it is cooler indoors than outdoors. I really dread the heat in summer. According to a church friend here, the whole country ran out fans two years ago and the heat was unbearable in summer... Let this not happen to us, please. I already find 23 deg C in our bedroom too warm. Yeah, you must imagine that we've been sleeping in 16-17 deg C in winter. How can the children sleep well and through the night when it gets warmer and warmer each day...?

first day in pre-school...

Finally, we've got a place for Bryan in the pre-school. But it's only twice a week, every Tuesday and Thursday. And school is going to break for summer on June 6. Look at how excited he is with his new friends. On your right, that's the teacher, Miss Amanda and her assistant (on your left), Miss Athena.

Heidelberg

You must wondering why we've been diligently driving around... well, we've got a guest with us this week! My cousin is taking a month-long break over here, visiting friends and relatives - that would be us! He has come down from Brussels to Frankfurt for a week. It was May Day - just one public holiday and it was between Ruedesheim and Heidelberg. We decided on Heidelberg because it's just a stone's throw from Schwetzingen. Pity we hadn't got time to show him and my Mom the Philosophenweg (Path of Philosophers). This is us and our guest on the Karl-Theodor-Bridge.

Schlossgarten in Schwetzingen

We had a nice drive down to Schwetzingen on May Day on Angeline's advice. It's really worth it! The palace garden is soooo beautiful though I didn't see much of it. I was stuck feeding Kristin on some bench and subsequently lost the rest of the family. But on our detour (mother and daughter), we met some nice lady who gave Kristin a crown made out of buttercups! How sweet! More photos on our outing here.

blue bus driver...

small talk in the bathroom

Dad: What do you want to be when you grow up? (Guess all "big" people like to ask "small" people this question.)
Son: Errr... I want to be a bus driver! (Dad was disappointed, nothing close to a doctor!)
Son: I want to be an airport bus driver!
Dad: You want to be a bus driver who drives in the airport. (Daddy was trying to be as encouraging as he could.)
Son: Yes, and the bus is blue (in) colour!
Dad: Aha, you want to be a blue bus driver!

So there you have it, meet Bryan - the future blue bus driver!
Bryan is a 32+ months pre-schooler who thinks he wants to be a yellow bus driver the next day....

if you're happy and you know it...

clap your hands! *Clap! *Clap!
Yes, it is happening: Kristin is learning this song quickly. She's only eight months old. Bryan could only respond to this when he was almost a year old.
But this same little girl has been giving her parents lots of sleepless nights. My guess is that Kristin is beginning to enjoy attention and she doesn't even want to be left alone at night. Hopefully this phase will pass quickly.

Hong Ying...

another new friend for Bryan
Daddy was catching up with the former Centre Director of Frankfurt, while his son was toasting his new friend silly with Sake... no lah, plain water in Yakult cups.
酒逢知己千杯少！

my birthday...

Thanks Alan for the wonderful strawberry cream cake! It still tastes as yummy as six years ago when you first baked it for me!!! And now, you've got a little helper - Bryan!:)
Kristin, the best birthday present for Mommy is SLEEP! When will I get that from you? Can't you see how tired I am here?

friends at last...

Bryan had company for lunch today. He ate well: Steamed egg, Chinese cabbage & carrot soup, carrot sticks, apples and fried wantons with prawns!
Jacqueline and Lawrence are from Taiwan. They've been in Frankfurt since August last year, 3 months before us. Jacqueline attends the American school where Bryan goes to twice a week for day-care. Bryan can relate well to her because of similar language background. Bryan must be thinking," Finally someone who speaks English, Mandarin, a bit of Hokkien like me! No more eins, zwei, drei and funny German words that I don't know." Actually, we speak more Teochew than Hokkien. But there's not much of a difference there.
It really is a good idea to have the children over for lunch and play. At least her Mommy and I can rest and relax a little, while the children entertain themselves with toys. Actually, not much time to relax. I had to read three books to them, one of which had encore!
There'll be craft work the next time we meet. Now I need to scramble some materials for art & craft. Got to start collecting stuffs for some sticking fun :)