Squeak squeak mousey New Year

This year, we spent our Chinese New Year reunion dinner in my hometown in Ipoh. Ethan felt very at home there, and although he didn’t really eat much during the dinner (actually he only felt hungry much later and I fed him some rice and tau-ewe-bak then), he had a good time walking around the house and checking everything out. He especially liked to step on the cute little pedal bin and throw pieces of paper into it, much like what we always do when we throw rubbish away.

He was also very intrigued with the chilled cans of Shandy, and loved to hold each can in his hands. I’ve also seen him trying to pry open the tabs on the can, but perhaps his favorite activity with the can is banging it against someone else’s when we say “Yum Senggggg!!!”  Just look how his face totally captures the spirit of the occasion!

My Mom and Dad, who had read all about Ethan’s drumming antics, surprised Ethan with a really really cute traditional Chinese drum, complete with drumsticks too. And when they brought it out for him on New Year’s Day, he was absolutely delighted. The size of the drum suited him really well, and before long he was excitedly banging on it over and over again.

On the angpow receiving front, Ethan would eagerly grab an angpow that was given to him, but only if he was in a good mood. Unfortunately, angpows were not the only things he received this New Year. On New Year’s eve, he accidentally fell from the chair after *playing the piano* in Ipoh, hit the side of his head and cried a little, but was okay after a few minutes, the pain apparently forgotten.   

And on New Year’s day in Taiping, he accidentally hit his forehead on a chair in the living room and received a *big bungalow* on his forehead. And when Pete tried to apply a cold compress to the bruise, he screamed and kicked as if he was being abused.  He would only allow Mommy’s kiss to make him feel better.

But one thing always gets his spirits up: DOGGIES! And barking ones add to the fun. He was so excited to see the barking neighbour’s dog in Ipoh, although it was so ferocious looking and when we were visiting a home in Taiping, he demanded that we take him out back where there were 4-5 doggies barking away. After all the dog-watching, I thought I heard him say “dog-dog”. And now even the slightest sound of a dog barking makes him smile, even while he is sleeping.

Ethan was a very good boy throughout the entire Chinese New Year visitation we experienced, from Ipoh to Taiping and the marathon one we had in Penang on Chinese New Year Day 2.  We returned home, tired and well, just glad to be back.  Had a good night’s rest and spent the rest of the weekend together, our little family.

Oh, and Ethan celebrated his Chinese birthday on the 3rd day of New Year too.  Such an easy date to remember, eh? 🙂