Weekly Schedule

Ok, am not a schedule person, so the likelihood of me keeping to this schedule is slim but I will try...

Lazy Monday: A day for lazing in and doing nothing except eat & sleep? Indoors and indoor play.

Animals Tuesday: Visit the shelter day and walk the dogs, at least once a fortnight.

Brendan Wednesday: Time devoted solely to B(that's everyday isn't it!!), theme parks, amusement parks... outdoor fun!

Art Thursday: Some kind of art or craft in a group or individually.

Luncheon Friday: Lunch with the ladies and then playgroup.

Playgroup Saturday: City playgroup every alternate Saturdays.

Mama Sunday: Ideally, this day is dedicated solely to me? And Daddy takes care of the lil one on this day?? :) *hopeful* *hopeful*

A Lil Shopping & Bowling

Had to get some stuff for the Halloween party and the fundraiser, what better place to shop at? DAISO!! We love Daiso, the everything $39ntd store!! At times, I still question them about the cost of some of the items there...

Bren has his own little shopping basket too everytime we visit that place, he gets to do a lil of his own shopping! ;) Does he go overboard, neh... he always ask if he could have something before putting them into his cart! Today he wanted to get something for his friends, Aidan ge ge (big brother) and asked me if he could, I told him if he wanted to buy for Aidan, he had to get for Ian too as they are twins! So he got the same ambulance toy for Aidan and himself and a fire engine for Ian. (How did he know that? Coincidently, Ian is crazy over Fireman Sam)

We checked out with 20 items, we were kinda 'disciplined', decided not to look in the other sections, confined our shopping to just the children's and stationary section.



We stopped by the Arcade located on the same level, we played a few of the games and then we discovered the bowling game!! Virtual bowling, it seems so real! Brendan was thrilled and would squeal in delight everytime the ball came out from the slot. There were alot of splits and gutter balls but we had a fantastic time playing our virtual bowling!!

My Happy Brendan

Am glad they have finally opened a branch of Yu Kids Island in Hsinyi!! Dazhi and Tienmu are kinda out of the way! But this branch is a super-mini one compared to the one in Dazhi!! Oh well, some play is better than no play?

I love the new Mitsukoshi A8, they have renovated the children's section on levels 4 and 5. You can find boutique labels on level 4 and a huge toy selection, furniture, photgraphy and a popcorn corner on the 5th floor. And of cos, Yu Kids Island tucked in the corner...



On weekdays, it's $200ntd for unlimited play all day! I actually brought B there in the afternoon, went home for a nap and dinner before heading back there again!! Talk about convenience!! (A very happy Mama & son-- I won't be bored hanging around there for 2-3 hrs)


The storevalue card: $2,000ntd gives you $2,400ntd, you can share the card amongst friends too! Talk about value for money!!



This will be our new local hangout, we'll be here at least once every 2 weeks??

TAS Food Fair

It's the annual International Food Fair at Taipei American School (TAS), it also coincides with the city playgroup's Halloween Party! Being the glut that I am, of cos I had opted to go to the food fair afterall it's been marked on my calendar for ages already!!

And besides... we don't really celebrate Halloween, though I did think of having a party this year and have ordered some stuff from the states BUT they have not arrived yet.

Off to the fair we go...

As usual, it was superpacked!! I stopped by the M'sian booth and picked up some dried shrimp rolls, curry puff and prawn crackers then a familiar flag caught my eye, Singapore!! I HAD to have some Singapore food!! Laksa or chicken rice?? Since I had to share with lil B, I picked the chicken rice. All the selections and only 1 stomach!! Arrrggghh...

We made our way inside to see what other options there were...



Germany, Russia, France, Sweden... wait a min, isn't this the restaurant who doe not welcome kids to the restaurant? So won't this be the only place to taste their food unless we leave the lil ones at home?? Swedish meatballs and lingoberry sauce coming right up!! Ok... I couldn't fit any more food 'onto' the stroller, we definitely had to eat some of these first.




Thai, Hongkong...oooohh... char siew pao!! Japan... Yum! Sushi!! Where're my friends? Why did they have to go to the party?? How can I eat everything??

I've never tasted more delicious meatballs than these 3 tiny ones on my plate!! The gravy was just... ummmm... will definitely have to get a nanny to babysit Bren while this glut Mama goes pig out at the Swedish restaurant! And the fantastic news? They've moved closer to home! Yay!!


Italian, Pizza, Mexican... there is our pretty lil Amiga, Rocio!! Guacamole sold out! :( Have to try one of those authentic Mexican burritos and nachos with salsa!! Yummmmm...

All this while, lil B has been most patient with Mama as Mama had 'bribed' him with rides... :) But his patience is running out, so it was his turn for fun!


We stopped by AT's booth to say hi and to pet some dogs. Then Bren played toss the balls into the pool, I was worried that he might go in to take a lil dip! Then we went to play some marbles, ride the train and went fishing.






Alot of the food was gone after all the rides and play but we managed to get some ice cream. And lil B got to bounce around in the bouncy castle!!




Why is it only an annual event? Why can't they have it every semester?? Can't wait for the next one!! (Mama's thoughts aloud)

Pumpkin Art (Double Art Day)

We were supposed to have pumpkin art last thursday but some of my friends were sick thus Mama postponed it to this thursday. We were supposed to draw and color a pumpkin and to make a Curly Sue.

There was a Halloween Party on Saturday and Mama thought it would be an appropriate time to make a pumpkin. But we are not going to the party as it coincides with Taipei American School's International Food Fair. And we're planning on going to the fair instead.

Mama had bought a new crockpot and has been waiting for a long time to use it, thus she decided that beef stew was on the menu for lunch!

My friends came at 12.30pm, a little later that day as Victor was going to come from kindy. Laura and Vincent were the first to arrive followed by Aidan and Ian then Victor and Mila and Auntie Kate and baby Rita came too to entertain us and to watch the fun!!

We started off with lunch and then some jelly for desserts and a little playtime then it was art!

Our Mamas drew eyes, nose and mouths for our pumpkins with a black marker and then we had to paint them in red, green or blue color. We had alot of fun painting our little pumpkins in all 3 colors but we didn't like sharing very much!!




After painting the pumpkins, Mama set the pumpkins aside to dry off. Then it was Curly Sue time. What exactly is a Curly Sue? It's a basically just a balloon with curly hair and a face!! :)

Wash Wash Wash

"Hi, are you Carol's friend?"
"Is this the place for pumpkin drawing??"
"No... BUT we're having an art class, you must be Carol's friend?"

Pushes her way in, didn't respond to me, maybe she thought I was the maid?? (Yea right... dressed in off shoulders and make up??--fashionable maid)

So, we had art today at about 12.30pm, the guests stayed till about 2.45pm? Still dunno her name!!

"Carol, what's your friend's name? How come you don't introduce her?"
SHE replies "Oh, she will tell you her name!" (I was asking for the mother's name and NOT the daughter!! Ok... I give up! Am not gonna try some friendly small talk again!! This is MY house and yet I feel so uncomfortable today!! This is why I do NOT open up my house to strangers!!

Time for pumpkin drawing, I was telling them (the mothers) to draw faces on the pumpkins for the kids, SHE looks at me, then looks away!! HELLO!!! Arrrgggh!!

**REN** (Tolerate)

Then I had it! I blew!! Mother and daughter, in and out, in and out of the bathroom, they kept washing and washing their hands with my 'expensive' soap!! ($300ntd) Not that expensive but I didn't buy it exclusively for them to use!! And everytime I will have to turn off the lights after them!! The mother was kinda 'anal' about getting their hands dirty, thus kept washing and washing and washing, think she washed her hands about 20 times today!! (am NOT exaggerating!!)

And here we are teaching our kids to conserve water?? Sigh~~

Happy Birthday Papa!

Papa's birthday is October 14th but he's been celebrating it for almost 2 weeks already!! We had dinner at Grandma's 2 Sundays ago as it was Papa's Lunar Chinese Birthday!! And ever since that Sunday, Papa has been out almost every night celebrating his birthday and playing mahjong!! Papa does indeed have ALOT of friends!!

Libra--Friends before family!! We can't change his horoscope sign can we?? So we'll just have to 'blend in' and love them... (Mama's thoughts)

But Papa is spending the actual day with his family and friends!! Mama picked a Japanese Yakiniku Restaurant (Maji) for dinner on Ta An road, a restaurant they've been going to for years before lil me was born.

The place was empty when we arrived, Conrad and I had our our table for our beer nuts and beer (Oolong tea). :) Boy, did we feel like we were grown ups!!

We had so much food; beef, chicken, pork, shrimps, bamboo shoots, salad...etc. we were all stuffed BUT we still had room for the beautiful chocolate cake Uncle Leo had picked out!! Chocolate cake with gold dust on it, it was like eating gold!!
Thank you Uncle Leo!!

Happy Birthday Papa!! I love you...

Baby Brendan