Christmas Morning (2007) - Brandon's First Christmas

It's Christmas Morning... finally, Ashley gets to unwrap ALL her Christmas gifts. And for the first time, Brandon joins her.

Brandon enjoying one of his gifts.

Enjoying a meal with some of the students from the Republic Poly on Christmas Eve.Daddy was away on a Youth Leader Equipping Retreat at Telunas Beach located in one of the Riau Islands (Indonesia) - an excellent place to go to get away to. They have to take a 45 minutes ferry ride from Harbor Front to Batam. Then, it was a 90 minutes boat ride to Telunas Beach. They were all greeted with warm smiles, icy cold towel and a welcome drink. Thought they stayed at bunk houses on stilts, it was clean and even had proper shower facilities. Imagine having the whole stretch of clean white beach all to yourself... and needless to say, the food was excellent!! Daddy highly recommends Telunas Beach if you're going on a retreat or just to get away with your family. However, do go with a big group to 8 - 10 people or more to really have fun.

Time To Update New Pix

Standing Tall in shorts - Brandon wearing his denim shorts from Target. Wanna know how much it cost...? US$0.98.

Caught in the act - What a mess!

Friends from the Sylvanian Families (UK / Japan) having tea together. In US, it's called "Calicocritters" - anyway, besides High School Musical, this is what Ashley enjoys these days

Trip to Arizona (Nov 15 - Dec 1)

Scroll down for NEW pictures

Brandon's first plane ride - look at the mini-bar behind them. On the non-stop flight from Singapore to LA, you get to snack round the clock and they feed you all the time.

Ashley enjoying her dinner - and TV. She watch "High School Musical 2" AGAIN!

At the International Students Club table at Cady Mall

Marisa & Ashley baking the Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake for Thanksgiving Dinner. It was pretty good - well done, girls!!

Brandon on the high chair for the first time - but it didn't last. He started to slides down and we had to remove him from the chair

Brandon "achieved" so much during this trip - he got to sit in a shopping cart at Target. He could also sit on his own (but not to long and with a little help from daddy)

It can be pretty cold in the morning - Brandon looks so warm in his sweater.

Here are pictures of the kids - from L-R: Ashley, Brandon, Joshua and Marisa.

"Most Eaten Food" during our trip cos this is Daddy's favourite - PANDA EXPRESS - half rice and chow mein, sweet and sour pork and Beef Broccoli... AND Hot and Sour soup.

Ashley relaxing during our flight to LAX

Thanks to a Singapore Girl (Shirley Chia) who took this pictures of Daddy & Brandon while mommy and Ashley were having their breakfast. By the way, we took us 14+hours to fly to the US and 17+ hours on our way home. SQ is not just "a great way to fly" - it's an EXCELLENT way to fly - great service, excellent food (Yoko even finished her food), wonderful in-flight entertainment, friendly cabin crew, spacious seats (daddy liked the 2-3-2 cabin seat configuration). They even served Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. I guess you can tell Daddy is one satisfied customer, heh...??!!

Ashley's B'Day

Ashley celebrated her b'day on Nov 11... she's 8!!

A picture for the album - and obvious Brandon is not enjoying that.

Ashley Tea Party

Ashley invited some of her church friends over for tea party last weekend

Look at what mommy prepared - smiley fries, cocktail sausages, and some bread with cheese spread topped with rainbow sprinkles inspired by Party Planner with David Tetura currently on Discovery Travel and Living Channel

Here's a picture of a rainbow spotted yesterday (Nov 9) from our apartment block. Some at our CG shared about this rainbow and how that reminded her of the covenant God made to Moses (Read below);

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." 17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."
- Genesis 9:8-17 (NIV)

Ashley & Brandon's Pix

Ashley enjoying a bowl of dessert - "Strawberry Peach" (with ice-shaving)

Brandon in his "jimbe" (pronounced "jim-bay")
- I think it's some Japanese PJs, or is it a casual wear?
Nontan - can help...??

Thanks Nontan for the info on "jimbe" and for the little bit of Japanese history as well - ""Jimbe" dates back to in the last years of EDO-period... It's just like a homewear in summer for Men or kids..."

Bumbo Baby Seat

Brandon enjoying his new BumBo Baby Seat
with Ashley

Saw this sign at Woodlands Mart recently - didn't know Swim Goggles go to college ;-) ... well, actually we know what the sign is trying to say (read the Chinese translation) but I just thought that it sounded funny. Don't you...??

Kids Say The Darndest Things

Ashley: Mommy, today I met a Philippian at Sunday School
Mommy: Oh, you READ Philippian...
Ashley: No mommy, I met a Philippian!
(what she meant was a "Filipino")

It appears that there are some bullies in class - she related some incidents where some kids are mean; they would "friend" only certain people, only talk to certain people, say nasty things to other kids...
Mommy: Leave these kids alone and find other friends... don't play these games
Ashley: Mommy, it's for real - these are not games

Ashley wrote in her school journal entitled WHEN I GROW UP (dated September 13, 2007)
When I grow up, I want to clean the house and cook for my whole family. And, I want to pick up my brother from school and I want to help my father bring this and that. I also want to help my mother to fold things. I want to do things well and make my family proud.

Teacher wrote: I'm sure they will be proud of you!

Brandon Having His First Hair Cut

"Somebody help me... please!!"

The GQ look

It has been rather warm lately and we decided that Brandon should have his hair cut since he perspire quite a lot. Actually, he's been scratching his hair as well.

Well, he was pretty good and cooperated with the hair-dresser. He looks more boyish now... not that he didn't before.

"Si Bak Kao"

The new and improved Ashley ^

Isn't Brandon cute? Hey's wait a minute - that's Yoko...!!Can you see the resemblance...?? Don't you think Brandon looks like Mommy...? (I hope mommy doesn't mind daddy picking this particular picture for the blog)

Lantern Festival @ Chinese Garden

We went to Chinese Garden today - and this year's latern display was a great disappointment. They had better ones in the past. Each entry came with a free lantern - look at the type of lantern they gave (sigh...). Even Ashley thought that this one of the worst lantern festival she has been to. Anyway, this was Jiji and Satoshin's first visit.

Click HERE to see some of the lantern display.

Ashley Needs Glasses

Ashley had health check in school last week. She came home and told us that she needs glasses. We took her to an optician on Saturday and was told that she should have started wearing 6 months ago. (Rt: 200 degrees, Lt: 150 degrees).

Mame with Jiji waiting for dinner to be served