Bible Verse of the Day

Ethan

All about Ethan

A Record Quick Trip to KL and Back

November 12, 2012 in Ethan, Hannah, Vacation | No comments

Last week, we made a really quick getaway to KL on Wednesday afternoon and were back in Penang the following night.  We had an important and urgent “mission to accomplish” which was time-sensitive, and that was the only slot we could manage.  So it was a tiring trip, but still we managed to squeeze in many happy (and funny) moments.

This was the spectacular view from our room in Traders Hotel.  It was a pretty sight to behold, especially at night when we could see colorful fountains at KLCC too.

The hotel arranged for a complimentary sofa bed, complete with bed linens, pillows and blanket for Ethan, and he enjoyed his bed for the night!

 

I’m so proud of my babies! (well, actually they specifically told me not to call them “babies” anymore, but… :P) Our appointment was at 7:40a.m. and here we are, in the elevator on the way down for our buffet breakfast at the hotel, at 6:30a.m., I tell ya! 😀

Too bad we had to rush through breakfast though…the spread was seriously good!  I was especially impressed with a “gluten-free” section too.  Maybe next time then…

Safely buckled up in the taxicab.. 🙂

Hannah was the ever-willing model who would gladly pose for me while we were relaxing in the room later that day.

While Daddy worked in the room, we roamed the hotel, including the Sky Bar and Pool area.

All tired out, and resting in the lobby/reception area while Daddy checked us out of Traders.

…but not before a stop at the organizing mecca that is IKEA (even in the slight drizzle…and JAM!!)

A Morning at The Beach

November 11, 2012 in Entertainment, Ethan, Exercise, Hannah | No comments

Last Saturday, I’d planned an informal family photo session with a friend who had so kindly offered her time for us.  Unfortunately there was a last minute change of plans and the session was called off.

However, because we had already told the kids we were going to the beach that morning, Pete and I decided to go ahead with the plan anyway.  Mommy would have to be the photographer du jour then. 😛

Here are some photos of our day of fun in the sun!

Tales of the Arabian Nights

October 26, 2012 in Entertainment, Ethan, Growing Up, Milestones | 1 comment

Months of intense practising, which started at the end of January this year, and afternoon stayback sessions in school, which had me ferrying him to and from school, and countless times of Ethan telling us, “It’s gonna be a surprise!  I’m not gonna tell you what will happen!” when I asked him specific questions about his role, has culminated in an afternoon of sheer enjoyment when we witnessed our little man perform in his inaugural K2 concert at Dewan Budaya in USM last Sunday.

Unlike most school concerts which had sporadic skits and items performed by the kids, it was the tradition of Ethan’s school to hold a full-fledged concert akin to a school play.  It was a tri-lingual concert, and in the months leading up to the concert day, at times Ethan would be intently practising his lines, be it singing or speaking.  He had speaking lines in Chinese and Bahasa too, and they even had recording sessions for the kids prior to the concert, just like a professional recording studio.

Oh yes, it was a MAJOR affair.  And our Ethan was truly truly excited.

In addition, he was playing a few roles too, as were his classmates; one of his roles was that of the Sultan, whom Princess Scheherazade would tell her stories to, for a thousand and one nights.

Yes, that was the title of their concert this year: Scheherazade – Tales of the Arabian Nights.

Unlike last year when Ethan only had one dance scene in his school annual concert, since he was in K1 at that time; this year, as he is in K2, he had speaking, singing and dancing roles.

Here are a few photos taken during the concert.  Photography and videography were prohibited during the concert proper, in order to ensure a smooth production without any disruption, so some of my photos were nicked from the official photographer’s stash 🙂

Pre-concert photo taking session, while waiting for the show to begin...

It’s Finally Showtime!!

Here’s Ethan playing the role as the Sultan…love the elaborate costumes and headgear!

Ethan resting at his “throne” 🙂

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Kids and Pregnancy

October 20, 2012 in Ethan, Funny Moments, Growing Up, Hannah, Milestones, Parenting | 5 comments

Hannah: Mommy, Daddy is not pregnant, right?

Me: No, he is not.

Hannah: Only you are pregnant, right?  Daddy, Ethan and Hannah are NOT pregnant.

Me: That’s right.

Ethan (in his usual big brother “I know more than you” style): Hannah, only girls can get pregnant, NOT boys.

Hannah: Oh.

Ethan: And do you know why?

Hannah: No, Ethan. Why?

Ethan: Because…you know, a baby will come out from the tummy from the private.  And only girls’ private is big enough for the baby to come out from.  In boys, the hole in the private is too small!

Hannah: Oh.

Ethan: Hannah, do you know why you cannot get pregnant now?

Hannah (thinking): No, Ethan.  Why?

Ethan: Because….you are still a small girl, and not an adult.  Your private is too small and the baby cannot come out from there yet.  A baby can only come out from an adult’s private!

Ethan has been constantly reading my favorite book in conception and pregnancy by Dr Miriam Stoppard, and has been learning a whole lot of stuff about babies and pregnancy. 🙂

(N.B: By the way, my kids know the correct term for male and female genitalia: i.e. penis and vagina, although they also use the term “private” to refer to them interchangeably)

Because I Love You SO Much!

October 14, 2012 in Ethan, Growing Up, Hannah, Parenting | No comments

Hannah made this card for Ethan all by herself, and when she was done, she proudly proclaimed, “Mommy, see?  I made this card with eight hearts for Ethan, because I LOVE him SOOOO much!”

Awww…..ain’t that sweet? 🙂

(If you notice, she also added some carrots and lettuce, Ethan’s favorite vegetable, to the card.  She wrote his name on the reverse side of the card.)

Lego Crazy

October 13, 2012 in Entertainment, Ethan, Growing Up, Hannah | 1 comment

Now who doesn’t like Legos?  Kids and adults alike, at whatever age, love to play with Legos, and I honestly believe that a set of Legos is the best toy any kid can own.  It helps to stimulate creative minds and is never rigid, given its endless building opportunities.  What’s more, Legos are never gender-specific.

So Ethan and Hannah was ecstatic when Daddy returned home from US several weeks ago with a Lego set each for each of them.  Ethan has been “upgraded” to the smaller and more intricate Legos whilst Hannah got the Lego Duplo set.  And oh, both sets were equally fascinating!

In just less than a day, Ethan managed to finished constructing this house…complete with a drink shack and a Lego man holding a cup!

Hannah had her fun with her Cinderella and Prince Charming’s castle, complete with beautiful turrets, blankets and a dining table set!

Ethan took it a few steps further a few days later by building a more advanced version of a Lego house!  “Construction” was delayed for a few days because two of the small Lego pieces got stuck fast together and I had to google and figure out the best way to tear them apart. 🙂

Here’s the final product…sans the palm tree though: A beautiful 2-storey beach house!  Great work, Ethan!

It even includes a sun roof/air well that can be opened and closed as preferred.

Don’t you just LOVE the detailing on these Lego sets?

Here’s looking forward to more Lego creations from my little miracles! 🙂

Our Little Ipoh Adventure

September 26, 2012 in Ethan, Hannah, Parenting, Vacation | No comments

Two weeks ago, Daddy was away for a short business trip to the States, and so I decided to make a trip with the kids and their grandparents (who was in Penang for a couple of days) back to Ipoh.  It has been a while since the kids visited Ipoh so they were naturally excited.

The drive was pleasant as the traffic was very light and the weather was cool and slightly cloudy.

Here are some iPhone shots I randomly took of our 2-day trip in Ipoh:

Ethan enjoying a good read with one of my favorite story books when I was a little girl:

Hannah’s “Don’t I look pretty?” pose:

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Dragons and Princesses

September 14, 2012 in Entertainment, Ethan, Funny Moments, Growing Up | No comments

Ethan was telling me about his playground sessions in school.

Ethan: Mommy, today we went to the playground again.
Me: You did? What did you play today?
Ethan: Oh the same thing…Dragons!
Me: Did you play only with the boys or both boys and girls?
Ethan: Only with the boys, Mommy.
Me: Oh why?
Ethan: Oh because the girls don’t like playing Dragons.  The girls wanna play *PRINCESS*. (He did the high pitch kinda tone when he said the word *PRINCESS*)
Me: (laughing) Oh really?  But don’t some of the boys act as Princes to save the Princess from the Dragon?
Ethan: Nooooooo….all the boys are DRAGONS.  And we chase all the princesses away!

Ferry Cross the Mersey…errr….Blue Sea :)

September 11, 2012 in Entertainment, Ethan, Growing Up, Hannah, Vacation | No comments

You know how we always say that people take things for granted just because some things are considered easily accessible to them?  For example, Ipoh people don’t really fancy pomelos that much and Klang Valley residents don’t dig Ikea and all that jazz?

Well, we’re just as guilty.. 😛 and I will tell you why.

Despite living in Penang for so many years now, we have NEVER taken the kids on a ferry ride.  The bridge has always been the easier and more convenient option for us.  However, during the past school holidays, since we had not planned on travelling anywhere, we decided to take the kids for an adventure on the ferry.

They were excited to say the least, and kept asking us when we were gonna reach the ferry terminal.  We had a few errands to run before that, you see…

The queue to board the ferry wasn’t long so we were relieved, but you know kids, they get really impatient…

“When are we getting on the ferry, Daddy?”

“Hey Daddy, why are those motorbikes cutting queue?”

“Why is the ferry not here yet?”

“I wonder how many vehicles can go on the ferry?!”

Finally, after about 10-15 minutes of waiting, we boarded the ferry.  The kids were super excited!

Here are a few shots I managed to take while ensuring the kids stayed safe while catching a glimpse of the sea.  Pete had to stay in his car, because for some reason, his car alarm would sound as the ferry rocked to and fro.

It was a fun trip for us all.  We drove to Sunway Carnival Mall and had our dinner there before heading for home…this time, we used the bridge 😛

“Girls are Weird”

August 27, 2012 in Ethan, Funny Moments | No comments

During one of my usual laidback chats with Ethan, I asked him (for the umpteenth time) if he would like to take an afternoon nap.

Ethan: No thank you, Mommy!  I’m still 100% active and I can play ALL DAY LONG!
Me: Gosh, you’re so weird…I would LOVE to take an afternoon nap!
Ethan: No, I’m not weird Mommy!  Girls are weird!  They cry when they’re happy!

*rolls eyes*

That gave Daddy a look of smug satisfaction on his face.

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