你快乐所以我快乐

LOVE

Us @ Meike's house. Taken @ Leon 10 months 2 weeks old

Leon will soon turn 11 months. I only realised that his first birthday is approaching soon when I chat with a friend recently(Can you believe it?!!) This wobbly almost-toddler is now showing plenty of signs of leaving his babyhood behind and is going to turn himself to a more independent toddler!

Apart from the pride and joy I feel when our little curious Leon stands on his own, there's a whole new world of worry at the same time. He will simply get into a lot more troubles just in the blink of an eye. He will simply walk out of my sight to explore almost every corner of the house and create troubles! I know when he silently stays in the bed room he must be trying to get hold of my books from the shelf and when he sneaks into kitchen alone I know he will attack his designated drawer and grab his "toys" (I stocked up a lot of empty tupperwares in the kitchen's cupboard so that he can spend time with them while I washing a few plates or preparing food)

He is also learning very hard to communicate, he grumbles a lot on his own and then shouting or screaming MA MA MA MA PA PA PA PA ZE ZE ZE ZE AHR AHR AHR....He is anxiously trying to communicate to us and sometimes when he grumbles you can even tell that he is complaining and showing off his dissatisfaction!! There's time when my handphone alarm rang and he thinks that the phone is ringing and will just stand near to the phone, keep looking at it and looking at me at the same time and starts to YI YI AH AH as if asking me to pick up the phone immediately (I think he might have thought that pa pa is calling.....)Kid's power can never be underestimated! ;)

There are days where he can be very temperamental, easily frustrated and inconsolable especially when I don't understand what he is trying to tell. So he ends up spend almost every one hour crying, shouting or screaming at me!

The worst is he wants me to stay with him almost at ALL times, and that I have to constantly talk to him, think of new tricks/ games to play with him. He yells and calls me out wherever he can't reach anything or wherever he gets bored with his toys. He follows me almost everywhere I go or else he wails and calls me out whenever I am out of his sight. Sometimes he clings onto my pants and stop me from leaving him. And of no choice I have to pile up my house chores.

When he throws his tantrum he shouts into my ear and it is terribly hurt. I've been trying patiently to talk to him, telling him "Don't SHOUT" cuddles him, pat him,give him food, try out funny faces...all that you can think of. BUT no use at all as there seems to just no way to soothe him when he tunes himself into his downtime mode.

This happens on and on and on through out the day. And I am stay at home alone with him almost 10-12 hours a day, it seems like everything I do can't pleased him at all. He simply become a little monster to keep shouting and shouting at fricking hours. I must admit that his tears, crying, screaming really drives me up to the wall...

Sometimes I really feel like bashing my head against a wall and just wish to call my hubby telling him that I can't stay around and face this monster and asking him to be home soon. By the end of the day when hubby finally came back from work, I have no time to dress myself up and I have no mood to do so too. I am not just totally exhausted. I am tense, lonely, helpless and sometimes in tears.... I don't want my little one shouting at me. I don’t want to stay home and to be shouting by my loved one. I have no mood to cook any food. I don't want to do any cleaning. All I want to do is just to run away for hours and I may be back afresh....

Can you imagine the life of a stay-at-home mom is so awful!! But thanks to hubby as he always like to remind me this "Hey, how long do you think he would want to stay by your side argh!!???"

YES - no matter what this little monster has done, the moment he shows his big sweet smiles and clings onto my arm my heart immediately melts.The way he expresses his love conquering wholly into my soul.The way he expresses his love conquering wholly into my soul. Nothing can beat unconditional love to your loved ones.

The feeling of sweetness has over filled my heart and topped with a very deep sense of contentment. I guessed that's the beauty of becoming parents!

While writing this at 10pm, hubby is still not home yet. He's unusually late but I just spoken to him half and hour ago and he is still working hard on his business proposal. While waiting for him to be home, I just sneaked into our bed room to watch the little monster. He looks so tame now and sleeps very soundly and perhaps happily. I can hear him breathing calmly too. Just wonder what he is dreaming of in his little wonderland...

珠式京都排骨

好久都没有很认真下厨，常常都是家常便饭随便解决一餐。。。

那天逛超市随手就买了猪肋排但心里倒没有特定的谱要怎么解决它！前几天心血来潮决定动手煮这道老公爱吃的京都排骨 - 它就是我们当晚的主菜哦！不知好歹的老公竟然取笑说今天有幸吃到酒楼的菜色！！还趁热点火要我下星期到朋友家做客时再烹煮一次保持水平！

材料：
猪肋排 我用约500g

腌料:
猪肋排：用生抽、适量盐、糖、胡椒粉、料酒、蛋液（半颗的量）、蒜頭 （我用2瓣）腌制30分钟左右，下油锅前搬拌入木薯粉/太白粉搅匀

酱汁：
辣椒酱 1大匙
番茄酱 2大匙
糖 1大匙
水 2大匙

简略烹调方式如下：
1.排骨洗干净加入腌料(太白粉除外)腌约30分钟后，排骨在入锅油炸前拌入太白粉
2.将油烧至约7分热放入排骨炸至棕色，转大火炸约1分钟后沥干油捞起备用
3.如想让排骨更酥脆，可在排骨起锅后再把油加至高温然后把排骨放入约15秒左右再快速撈起
4.另起一个鍋，用少許油爆香蒜茸，加入预先調配好的醬料兜抄至滚，拌入炸好的排骨快速以大火翻炒至醬汁收乾后搅拌均匀，即可上碟。

贴心叮咛：
1.我在爆香蒜茸后，另加些番茄酱翻炒让菜色更鲜艳然后才加入预先調配好的醬料
2.糖和番茄酱可依个人的甜度喜好自行斟酌用量

爱心树

一直都非常喜欢绘本创作但却总是碍于昂贵的书价而却步，绘本对幼儿绝对是首选，最近在积极搜索适合宝宝的读物绘本，但宝宝还小合适的童书绘本其实不多，反而是在觅书的过程当中自己却对本本插画精美、动人的故事深深着迷。。。

最近读到的《爱心树》- 一个简单但却寓意深厚的故事就这么轻易的征服了我的心，读着读着眼泪不禁自觉地淌下……

我相信每个读到的孩子或大人都会被大树那深深无私的爱和奉献打动，特别值得推荐给爸爸妈妈们。

从前有一棵大树……

它喜欢上一个男孩儿。

男孩儿每天会跑到树下

采集树叶，

给自己做王冠，

想像自己就是森林之王……


决定等宝宝懂事后要念给他听！

在网上听到谢尔·希尔弗斯坦演唱听爱心树的歌，平静中略带淡淡的忧伤很让人陶醉……


《爱心树》歌词

The Giving Tree
Once there was a giving tree who loved a little boy
And everyday the boy would come to play
Swinging from her branches sleeping in her shade
Laughing all the summer hours away
And so they loved and oh the tree was happy
Oh the tree was glad

But soon the boy grew older one day he came and said
Can you give me some money, tree
To buy something I’ve found
I have no money said the tree
Just apples, twigs and leaves
But you can take my apples, boy
And sell them in the town
And so he did and oh the tree was happy
Oh the tree was glad

But soon again the boy came back and he said to the tree
I’m now a man and I must have a house that’s all my own
I can’t give you a house she said
The forest is my house
But you may cut my branches off and build yourself a home
And so he did and oh the tree was happy
Oh the tree was glad

And time went by and the boy came back with sadness in his eyes
My life has turned so cold he said I need sunny days
I’ve nothing but my trunk she said
But you may cut it down
And build yourself a boat and sail away
And so he did and oh the tree was happy
Oh the tree was glad

And after years the boy came back both of them were old
I really cannot help you if you ask for another gift
I’m nothing but an old stump now
I’m sorry boy she said
I’m sorry but I’ve nothing more to give
I do not need very much now just a quiet place to rest
The boy, who whispered with a weary smile
Well said the tree an old stump is still good for that
Come boy she said sit down
Sit down and rest a while
And so he did and oh the tree was happy

Oh the tree was glad


如果有兴趣，也可以看看网上《爱心树》中文版的flash

LEON on the move

*written @ LEON 9 months 2 weeks 5 days old*

This week we have experience a very exciting development - so far my little cheeky boy has been progressing very well from sitting, crawling, standing, cruising (walking while holding on to furniture/ rollable toybox and etc). Yes. yes yessses and now, he has starting his wobbly steps. He first took one or two steps. Then a few more.



It's terrifically amazing and exciting to see our little one who is less than 10 months old took his first steps. I have read that walking early or late has very little to do with a child's development in other areas, such as thinking or language.As a rule of thumb, early walkers are no smarter than late walkers.This article is not meant to praise our young adventurer. In fact, I noticed that Leon is having lots of joy of movements but not so much in other areas, perhaps that's the reason to explain why he put less energy into other learning areas like waving, clapping his hands and talking! Though he likes to yell but NOT talk! At first this actually causes a little concern to me, but I believe eventually it will make little difference as he will still reach the development milestone on his own pace.

I always wonder how come a little baby will know how and when to do what!? Just like Leon,I would say he is quite an eagle and adventurous baby and he just know when he is ready to kick off his steps. Before he literally started his steps,he pulled to standing alongside a chair, bed, box, toys or almost anything that can support him, and then he will let go and perhaps attempt to take one or two steps before he falls down. He will repeat this exercise through out his daytime activity with full passionate until he succeeds and shows his cheeky little smiles!

I love to see his cheeky little smiles. I love when he shows his innocence look and stares at us. I love when he gives a big sweet smile. I love when he is leaning into my arms asking for a big hug...






P.S: My Chinese software is having problem and can't compose in Chinese for the time being...... :(