Festivities started kind of early this year, for me at least, as Na asked me out to Chinatown the week before Taipei. The bazaar wasn't all up yet but there were lots of see and buy already.
I used this for our WhatsApp group LNY greetings :p
We had my brunch / her breakfast, and bought candy and decor before sitting down for my tea / her lunch.
Digression: We were at Toast Box when a old lady next to us speaking Cantonese asked the staff to get her a tea and couldn't understand the cost in Mandarin. I told her the number in Cantonese then she started talking to me in Cantonese. The limits of my Cantonese are like numbers and food so.... :p
We planned to bring the boys to Chinatown like in recent years. There were only two weekends before LNY after I came back from Taipei. The first weekend, we had to return library books and lucky us - we came across a pasar malam at Bishan with LNY decor!
"Are these real coins?"
I pasted the decor from Chinatown and got Yu to help me make lanterns from hongbao as the lower primary kids could upload their work which might be showcased during the school cele - I never know whether his was chosen but we had fun!
Watching Yang staple the hongbao
Yu was a bit fearful of the stapler after accidentally stapling himself a couple of years ago. But after watching me and Yang, he decided to do it after all :)
Happy with their lanterns
He wanted a "hat"
Instead of a Saturday, we decided to go to Chinatown on a Friday and what a good choice it was - way less crowded in the day!
Yup, we left right after school - Yu had a poop so changed out of his uniform
We were at Monster Curry at Chinatown Point. We tried to go to Peach Garden but they had only LNY menus and gosh, so ex! The kids probably wouldn't enjoy that as much as Monster Curry anyway.
你一口，我一口 :)
No otters this year?
The setup was more spacious than last year but we didn't linger much to read coz it was drizzling. Went on to shop instead.
"What is this?"
We bought only baked goods this time. I think next time, we would always go to Chinatown to buy all the baked goods - way cheaper than the bakeries near us, or even supermarket. And they were yummy too!
It started pouring while we were getting drinks so might as well sit it out. We left the kids at one table and sat two tables away :p
They look like three uncles drinking at kopitiam!
The downpour eventually stopped. We went to get some buns from Dough Magic outside People's Park Complex before going home - very yummy!
Then, Kai started having a sore throat on Monday, 5 Feb. I kept urging him to do an ART but he refused. By 7 Feb, I insisted when he came home and the sore throat was still there. True enough, COVID positive. The rest of us tested too - all negative.
By then, we had all had dinner together for at least three days. So I didn't bother with quarantine. Just tested the brothers before they went to school for the next two days even though they had no symptoms. I have many ART kits expiring in March so might as well...
So only these two dressed up for celebration in school
Kai didn't want to wear a festive top anyway so I didn't buy for him. Kind of lucky??
At first, we planned to leave Kai with me at home while Sito took the brothers to AhMa's place for reunion dinner. But Mum said to just go over. But but but, as it turned out, Kai tested negative just before we left for dinner!
He wanted to wear a mask, "just in case"
But the mask went to the bin in no time! Anyway, bad photo by me - can't even see the yusheng!
Mum and Dad were going to Malacca to visit PoPo the next day so the kids gave them oranges right after reunion dinner. We asked them to think of two lines of greetings each and they faithfully greeted their grands. Kai tried to test me on the greetings he got from tuition class - I got only one wrong and he couldn't believe it haha!
The youngest one went first
Yang next
Dragon boy finally
As usual, we gathered on our bed to watch TV and eat snacks. But the boys are so big now! I managed to sit next to Yu but Sito had to sit on the floor. Looks like next year, we would have to do this in the living room, provided they don't break their sofa ha!
Think this was pre-snacks
There was no kid-friendly late show and the boys kept irritating one another so we called it a night early. Also didn't eat much snacks I think... Forgot to bring out the melon seeds...
Yang gave us oranges first coz he's sweet :p
This boy said his greetings so shyly!
He wasn't kneeling to us; he happened to be playing on the floor and refused to budge much!
Standard annual shot
This year, we have a different background :) There's also a banner on our main door - can't see from here.
And before we could continue, Sito tested positive for COVID *.* The rest of us were still negative! And the brothers and I probably interacted more with Kai - the monkeys play together all the time while I lie down with them at night. So I gathered that Yang and Yu probably got it earlier and recovered - Yang had like a day of sore throat the week before. I got it back in December so safe.
So I brought the kids out on my own. Sito cooked his own LNY lunch :p
Must monkey around on the way to WaiPo's place
Huge apple with words on them!
I wanted Yu to hold the apple but he wanted to watch TV *.* I took a selfie instead. Love this apple :)
Next was Ah Yee's place. We bumped into MY and JW at Bishan MRT, and came out at Braddell to see Jiejie, MT and their mum - probably on the same train too.
Adults chatted while the kids happily ran ahead to the playground. It was too late when I got there and saw Yu emerge from the tube slide with wet pants *.* He couldn't see the puddle at the bottom of the slide. So I got him a towel but it was too obscene haha! Then Ah Yee lent us a pair of pants which I tightened with an elastic band. His pants and brief were hanging on a bamboo pole - thank goodness for the strong sun that day!
He was sad to wear flowery pants (haha!)
Standard LNY shot
Yan was back for LNY!
We met for lunch the week before too. Else hard to chat with so many people around and with kids to mind... Though I must say, the boys played very well on their own so I really could chat with relatives.
Reward #1
Reward #2 was Macs for dinner. It was early but I figure they didn't have much lunch and could always top up at home.
They tore open their hongbao last week and guai guai handed over their money for my safekeeping. I kind of just keep the notes for next year - don't want to queue online to book and then at the bank to collect new/fit notes anymore! But I jotted down their money - will invest for them!
Counting counting...
Last Saturday, we met with Sito's uni mates. Five families, 14 kids! Ours were among the youngest. Oldest already 19!
They had fun playing pool in the condo entertainment room
Got Sito to hit one when he came to get us to go home
That night, there was lots of incense smell in the air and we let it be until buay tahan, must turn on aircon. But I caught a cold by Sunday - not sure if it was the incense or the aircon!
Anyway, the incense is strong in this neighbourhood - Sito once saw a neighbour in a further corridor burning stuff at the corridor! So we would be careful and turn on aircon once we smell incense.
Only three more days to end of this LNY period. I got my tangyuan ready :)
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