Kitty Kat Sharing...

She was trying to convince me to share the candy that she gave me -- notice that she already has a Hershey in her hand -- no mention on sharing that one with me!

 Kitty-kat = Kit Kat

p/s: ignore the mess in the background please...I was cleaning out the pantry closet...

Memories

When I was going through my pictures to find the Halloween ones, I naturally came across others that I have forgotten about

First Christmas - it is rare that I have a picture with Isabel even back then

Possibly my most favorite picture of her...she was probably around 9 months?

 

I remember taking this picture when she saw I was snacking on something and immediately came scooting over to check it out in hopes of getting a bite...

 

Or perhaps this one is, when she is younger --- ? 

 

Drooly, baby face ---- I could gobble her up!

And a startling discovery --- I've taken barely 500 pictures with my real camera since October of last year. And majority of those pictures are not related to Isabel. 

I shall have to rectify that. 

 

Halloween - Through the Years

Every year, Isabel's daycare will host a Halloween parade, featuring costumes that the teachers make for the whole class.

This year, Isabel's class went as robots

This is the last time that Isabel will be participating in this parade...because next year, she'll be in kindergarten.

Feeling sentimental, I went through my archives and dug up old pictures from all the past parades -

Halloween 2011 -- not quite sure what they are....NASCAR drivers?

 Halloween 2010 - bag full of jellybeans! Probably my favorite costume --- look at those cheeks!

She actually didn't get to attend the Halloween parade in 2009, which would be her very first Halloween -- we were in DC to attend my granduncle's funeral. 

So here's the personal costume that I bought instead for her first year of trick or treating

 

Oh, my baby. I miss the days when she was a baby. 

Because she was A.DO.RA.BLE!! 

 

Natural Disasters and Such

There are times when I question more times than I usually do about why I am living in this particular region.

Within a week this past month, we've experienced a hurricane, and then a bad snowstorm.

Power went out both times.

Morning after Sandy. Dawn to a new day - there is to be light after the darkness

But, came out feeling thankful that it wasn't worse than it was (actually, remarkable blessed that all I had was power outage -- heck...that just meant that I had a day off work =D)

House in the neighborhood that had a tree resting on it, thanks to Sandy

So here's how we entertained ourselves in the dark with the aid of a torchlight that my former husband kindly provided (since his house kept its power...#@$!$%)

We painted pumpkins

We built "Momma and Izzy" snowpeople 

(the snow was fantastic for snowman building, I have to say)

And we petted and cuddled Melly - who was brought home 1 day before Sandy hit

And if I wasn't counting my blessings enough after finally arriving home safe and sound from an awful, awful drive home in the snow...

(2 detours due to cars spinning out, fishtailing in the roads because my car does horrendous in the snow, and having to have my neighbor pull my car up into the driveway for me because I couldn't get it in due to the incline and the snow and the fact that another neighbor insisted on parking 2 inches away from my driveway)

I had this waiting for me on the doorstep...

 

A box full of persimmons from my aunt in CA - which Isabel devoured.

 

 

Blessed indeed.

Thank you to all who's reached out to us during this time to check on us. 

Love to all of you.

How We Entertain Ourselves on Trains

When we were alone on Melbourne's metro. Clearly, we amuse ourselves.

Warm-weather Shelves

I try to rotate the open shelving in my kitchen at least once with the change of each season.
Now that the weather is getting more and more crisp, having my warm beverage essentials close at hand makes me happy.

 

Finally, my Martha Stewart turkey platter sees the light of day after hiding out 4 years in the basement...

 

And in the soup tureen, we have my prized acquisitions from our trip to Australia ---

 

 Freddos and Caramello Koalas!

Should have bought more than a bag of each.

Hindsight is 20/20

Melbourne, Australia

First things first, one of the top things I loved about Melbourne is the abundance and ease of getting good coffee...

Isabel with her first babycino...no clue what it was that the barrista was talking about when I placed my order for a cappuccino, but I just said yes. When in doubt...

 

Heck, when I saw it, I wanted one for myself!

The other thing I originally did not like, but now that I am back home, I wish we had it, was the fact that one can't take 10 steps without passing by an Asian/Chinese/Malaysian restaurant when walking around downtown Melbourne....everything was right THERE. It was so easy to get to (no nightmare traffic like NYC).

And of course...I actually have friends there. Plural.
And family members with kids around Isabel's age.  She had a grand time playing with them

The reason for the trip:

I've known the bride for almost 20 years, all the way back when we were the tallest, scrawny kids in our year back in primary school

And Isabel got the honor of being the flower girl at the wedding

Although despite everyone's best attempts of getting her to walk gracefully and sweetly down the aisle, she got stage fright and proceeded to stomp down it like a dinosaur....We'll need to work on the way she deals with shyness...

It was a gorgeous wedding, with tons of DIY accents made by the bride, and my heart warmed at the fact that she included the peg dolls I made at the last minute as a bachelorette accent into her wedding reception

 

It was fantastic fun to being back in the company of some of my oldest friends and their spouses --

Love my girls -- and Da-Ping, you were missed!

 

And me and my best girl

 

Note to self and anyone else who is reading -- leave at LEAST a week between a facial and an event --- my skin was disgusting that whole week we were in Melbourne, post-facial....and of course, it was gorgeous 2 days after the wedding.

(wedding day pictures courtesy of CY)

Meet Melly

She was adopted about a week ago through SPCA.

They think she's about 3 years old. She was found roaming in the streets of California and was picked up by a rescue/shelter company down there. They named her Melody (which I've shortened to Melly...not that it really matters...she doesn't really respond to either one!)

 

Don't know much about her background -- I would assume that she used to be a pet, then was either lost, or was let loose by her family. She does not react to basic commands (in English, at least) and she doesn't (know how to?) play fetch either.

I had no intentions of getting a dog when I walked in --- Isabel and I were quite set on getting a cat. But then, there she was, in the corner, away from all the other yipping and jumping dogs that were in the same cage....and my heart melted. She looks very much like Buddy.

 

She is very sweet, and very, very loyal. She followed me from room to room the first few days, afraid to let me out of her sight. Now, she'll stay put, but will come searching for me if I am not back in a minute or so.

Her days of surviving on the streets is apparent as we go for walks -- she will make it a point to stop and investigate almost every trashcan on pickup days.

Isabel is quite tickled with her, but she is still asking for a cat.

Melly will make minced meat of the cat.

 

Finally...The Time Has Come...

After months of waiting, last month, we finally got to get on an airplane and go back home!

What did people with young kids do before Ipads?

I have no clue. Thank you, U.Charlie!

As per usual tradition, on the first morning in KL, we wake up ridiculously early and Isabel helps her Por Por water the garden

She's a bit of a poser these days.

 

I don't know where she gets it from.

Serious.

 

Oh, yummy nom noms...how I missed you.

 

If only I could reach into the computer screen and grab that plate of char kuey teow.....sigh.My mouth is salivating at the thought of biting into that siew mai.....

Off on another 8 hour flight to Melbourne the next day! The kid did fantastic. She deserved all the shoes she amassed during the trip.