minimunchkin: Short and Sweet

Short and sweet, that was our February. Another case of so much to do, so little time. Our highlight of the month - Mia started walking! She'd been "cruising" for a few months now but only took her first few unaided steps on the second day of Chinese New Year. We thought she was fast when she was crawling, but now she moves like lightning and we literally have to run after her to stop her from getting her hands into all kinds of forbidden places, like the shoe cabinet which is currently her favourite target. She looks incredibly cute tottering around on those little legs of hers, with her little pot hanging out :)

Relaxing Sunday - On the way to our usual Sunday brunch spot

Since Mia arrived, I've tried to put aside some alone time with Ryan every now and then but it hasn't been easy. We've all adjusted very well to being a family of four and I can't imagine what life would be like if we didn't have Mia. Yet, I do miss the special Mama moments with my little boy. And I am also well aware that my position of "No 1" will very soon be usurped by a certain somebody :(

In Steve Biddulph's book 'Raising Boys', he talks about the three stages of boyhood that every boy goes through. Stage One is from birth to six - the span of time when the boy primarily belongs to his mother. Stage Two starts at six to fourteen when the boy, out of his own internal drives, starts wanting to learn to be a man and now turns to his father for interest and activity. Finally at Stage Three from fourteen to adult - the boy needs input from male mentors if he is to complete the journey into being fully grown up. However, Biddulph is careful to point out that while boys go through these three stages, they do not necessarily indicate a sharp shift from one parent to another, but rather the stages just indicate a shift of emphasis. Therefore, regardless of which stage your child may be going through, the influence of both parents remain just as important. I read this book when Ryan was going through his terrible twos hoping to find some answers to dealing with the temper tantrums. While I may not fully agree with everything that Biddulph writes, many things in the book do ring true. And so I shall make the most of the time I have left, when my son still "belongs" to me!

Ryan has adjusted really well going from an only child to becoming a big brother. He has always been very affectionate and gentle with Mia. Of course there are the times when he attempts to block/push her from getting to close to his favourite toys but generally he's hasn't shown any jealousy towards her. Having said that, Shad and I have noticed, especially recently as Mia gets older and more interactive, that Ryan vies for our attention a lot more. During those cranky periods, it's amazing how a quick one on one moment with either Shad or myself minus Mia, even if it's only a quick walk down to the shops, can turn a grumpy little boy into a happy one.

For something a little different, I took Ryan on an open-air sightseeing bus ride one afternoon while Mia having her afternoon nap.

Waiting impatiently to start our adventure

Cameraman hard at work

Belchers - can you spot our apartment?

Dried seafood shops on Des Voeux Road bustling with activity close to CNY

The obligatory IFC shot

The Four Seasons - our first 'home' in HK

Pit stop at the Star Ferry Terminal

Row after row of antique shops on Hollywood Road

The old Hong Kong Police Station on Hollywood Road - nearing the end of our HK Heritage Tour

A few weeks ago, the Moon Bears had their Term 3 outing to Repulse Bay Beach. We had our fingers crossed for good weather since it had been cold and wet the entire week before. We were extremely lucky on the day, sun shine and light breeze, a perfect day for the beach. The children were very excited about going to the beach, but I think they were even more excited to have their Mamas (and a Daddy) ride the bus with them.

Roll call before boarding the bus

Aye aye Captain! - Any guesses what the theme of the day was?

Boys versus...

Girls (and guess who won? with the help of some Mums!)

Hunting for hidden treasure

Success! There were 24 children and incredibly they found 24 gold treasures :)

Building sand castles

Snack time

Another year gone, another candle on the cake. It wasn't that long ago when I said to Karen that the day she turns 40, I will vomit. Well, I'm not too far away from that mark myself! I had three lovely birthday meals this year. We had a delicious lunch at Amber in the Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel on the Sunday before the actual day. Rated two Michelin stars, the food was very good and while the ambiance was a little stiff, it was surprisingly very kid-friendly. Ryan got to choose his meal from the kid's menu and Mia had a very comfortable high chair to relax in. Ryan alternated between chomping on his burger and colouring, while Mia spent the entire afternoon flirting with the charming maitre d'!

My most precious present hand-drawn by my son (Ryan, Mama, Daddy and Mia playing at the park when a bus came by)

Written by the artist himself (with some help from Daddy)

Chomping down on the mini gourmet burger

My entree of lightly seared trout covered with asparagus mouse (it had a much fancier name on the menu)

Shad's entree of lobster bisque - delicious but hardly enough for my hungry husband

"Iberian pork belly lacquered with vintage sherry vinegar enhanced jus

kabocha pumpkin gnocchi and trumpet mushrooms" - Divine!

A very willing model

Being cute is hard work!

Chris and Paula brought over a huge lunch and a scrumptious cake on the actual day. So nice to have such thoughtful friends!

And finally a cosy dinner at Inagiku with three of my favourite people :)

Daddy's Mini Me

Shad went to Melbourne for a week just after Chinese New Year. Whenever he's away, we switch into our "Daddy's away" mode. We go about our daily routine like normal except dinner and bed times are brought forward so by 8.30pm everyone is fast asleep in their beds, including me on most nights! Ryan seems to be much more affected by Shad's absence the older he gets. He especially misses his early morning chats with his Daddy so I try to make it up to him by letting him sleep in our bed whenever Shad's away. I tell Ryan that this is a special treat for him, and that he only gets to do this as a reward for good behaviour but who am I trying to kid, I love having him in our bed and the morning cuddles even more!

The kids and I were having a lazy Sunday morning sleep in when a good friend called to ask if we wanted to join them on an outing out to the pirates cave in Cheung Chau. As soon as Ryan heard the word pirate, he couldn't wait to get out of the house. We had a wonderful day, the boys were a little spooked out in the dark cave but otherwise had a great time playing together and being driven around the island by Uncle J-N on one of those three wheeled bikes. Meanwhile we girls enjoyed a slow stroll through the streets of Peng Chau searching, and finally finding, a "tong sui" stall :)