Happy Birthday Wei Wei

Wei Wei turns two, he really likes to pull hair, the habit has apparently lessened now and luckily Ike's hair is too soft to get a grip of (and of course he bites) but Wei Wei still manages to pull Nate's short hair, his pincher grip sure is developed!

He had a little birthday party and here is a picture of Sebastian (of Gabriel and Sebastian, the twins from Taiwan). Judi and Mike have been in KL for 3+ years now.

Weather here is hot, the boys like to run around naked (to the delight of the mosquitoes). Here is Nate harassing Uncle Fred's guppies. Today he said he wanted them for lunch, hmm... maybe he won't know the difference of ikan bilis? Initially he thought the fish was quite slimy but he soon got over that, its time to take him to a real pond with real slimy bigger fish and tadpoles.

Hospital again...

At 6am I here ike crying downstairs and then nate is at the door saying, I hurt ike, there is alot of blood on his head... I go downstairs and Shook Fun is wiping the blood off his face to reveal a big gash on his eyebrow... so off to the emergency room we go.

The doctor admits him and books him a plastic surgeon, we have to wait around till 10, he whines about being hungry and thirsty. Ike falls asleep 10 mins before the procedure and sleeps the whole way continuing into his nap. The gash is about 1 inch, right to the bone, no nerves severed, should have minor or no scar and may have lost a few hairs on the spot of the cut.

Here are some before and after pics, before in PJ's luckily he is wearing his fireman themed one and the blood splatter is not so apparent. After out of surgery he gulps down a big glass of water a box of milo and some lunch.

Seems fine but will have to keep his bandages for a week, the dr gave him internal dissolvable stitches and some other scar reduction gel.

Another day, another boo boo.

How did it happen... apparently ike was in the stroller and nate was pushing him around, he got a bigger push and Shook Fun didn't catch it and it tipped over with ike knocking his head on the corner of the concrete sidewalk paving.

Chinese New Year eve...

I have been really tardy in taking photo's none of the boys with their cousins wei and han yet. The 4 of them seem to still be sussing each other out. I hope they aren't too angry at Kai2 and Ming2 (Ah beng) at just attacking their toys.

We land in KL, there is a huge traffic jam... we get to Ter's house and they make the fastest bee line to the toy room. Nate seems to have a good memory and knows where it is.

Ter's house has alot more exotic plants, some nice big stag horn ferns and orchids... hmm hmmm, will take note to swipe some for our new place.

Have not had time really to start packing my ang pows. But I did manage to get my KL SIM card. Its +6010 205 2092. Managed to touch base with a number of friends here.

This is porpor wrapping the boys like a spring roll in the hammock and our visit to Ama's tomb.

Arrived in KL alive...

The day we left Joburg it was rainy and wet and quite cold. The boys were quite excited to get on a plane. Luckily I packed the DVDs and snacks, they took turns to sleep and at some point both were asleep but no sleep for me. Recovered somewhat over two days of napping.

The weather here isn't as hot as its supposed to be over CNY but its quite hot, we swim everyday and the water is warm! I've already had nasi lemak, wanton mee, chinese home cooked food, evil peanuts, kueh ka pek and I think I may have put on 5 kgs in 3 days.

For those who don't know, we lost the 22 Kay Siang house, the day we were about to sign the lease, the people who were going to move out had complications with their pregnancy. bye bye house with jungle gym, huge deck and zip line... will be off to singapore to house hunt, another black and white has come up and will go take a look at that one.

Kokuuu Laalaaaaa....

Ike's pronounciation is still not the best but he likes to say kokuuuu lalaaaaaa which his version of cockle doodle doooo.

Pictures of the black and whites

The Dalvey road is the one that looks like it has a tower to imprison an enemy.

The goodwood hill one, we would have been neighbours with my friend sarah, but the lease starts in december 08

The other more fortress like one has a tennis court but no ADSL, it would be like living in Africa! am so looking forward to consistent internet connection with 10x the speed and 1/10 the cost.

The packing has started...

the pictures are all taken down except the big ones, boxes everywhere... Today I went to pick up Bullet's cage so he can check it out, hang out in it before the flight. Me and the woman had to carry it about 80meters then it won't fit into the boot, until I put down the front seats and remove one of the back seats. Phew! Luckily bullet fit into the cage! We put a little mattress for him and it looks like he is going to have a luxurious ride, if he doesn't throw up.

More strangers coming in and out of the house to view it.

Here is Ike sleeping on the floor, the boys now take turns to sleep on the bed with me, in the preparation for the big camp out in KL.

We've decided against bidding for the "tuan" black and white house on Dalvey Road, loren said its like double the size of our present home (tho its listed at 6,000 sq ft, with the other quarters its bigger?), the garden is the size of a football field. We likely will only use 2/3 of the space and I feel like I will be spending too much time just maintaining the place (may need to buy a mini harvester to cut the grass?), I'd much rather be doing other things. Its also too grandiose. We'd definitely lose pistol to a python.

Let's see how the bidding goes this weekend.

Sabi Sabi

Loren spent all his frequent flier miles and redeemed them for 2 nights at Sabi Sabi. We flew in on small aircraft again, this time at the airport, the staff were preparing for the arrival of richard branson from his resort, Ulu Saba.

Sabi Sabi was voted 2nd best hotel or lodge or one of those awards but I think our best stay was still at Ulu Saba, just the small things add up.

We had good game drives, very hot days until it rained, my favourite story this time is about the animals arm race. The giraffe evolved a longer neck to get to the leaves so the trees developed thorns and the giraffe then evolved a sticky and long tongue to more efficiently eat leaves. The trees respond by secreting large amounts of tannin as the giraffe is eating making the leaves bitter and also secretes pheremones into the air to warn other trees in the vicinity to start making tannin tasting leaves, giraffes then eat far away from each other and against the wind.... well thru all this, the giraffe with its long neck... however... on big storms do get struck by lightning.

School Holidays continue on...

It really feels like the kids have been home for a long time now... but once there is some sort of routine, it doesn't seem so bad. Our routine? the am we hit a playgroup and pm we swim. Some mornings we go to Yeesh, which is an indoor play place, I bring my Mac and get some stuff done.

This week we finally made it to Nate's friend, Max's house. I was wondering who lived in this house with sculptures outside (the only one in dainfern so far?), but it was a really inspirational house, they have a very good collection of South African artists and sculptures, it was a feast for my eyes and it is like a home that is a gallery, it had modern furniture, funky bookshelves (they are close to dad's record at 3.000 books), not a cold type gallery but also a home. Max's mom had a lot over very good ideas for the play room, it was just a really nice home, made me feel like buying sculptures again. Maybe one day when we have a permanent home? I think the art and the books really appealed to me. Will have to bring bub's there, just for the art is a treat.

We've had a great time zipping around in Christine's golf cart to get to the clubhouse pool, talk about "usufruct" (the use of other peoples fruits). I think its the nicest pool, its salt water and warm. Speaking of pools the pump in ours is broken, the pool is a pond.

I've had to early harvest my vege box, I pulled out all the carrots and tiny carrots were already sprouting (boo hoo hoo). My big red onions are the size of shallots.

All the swimming we have done, nate is quite the fish, or he says, "just call me nate zev dolphin". Yesterday he learnt to swim and somersault today he somersault dive into the pool and can swim longer and longer distances. Ike on the other hand likes to grab the octopus pool cleaner thing and ride it like a horsy.

Some issues with my nokia phone so can't upload pics, will do so when I get my new phone. Off to Sabi Sabi in Kruger on Friday, back Sunday, nate already knows that when bubs comes... mom and dad are heading out!

Teeth and noses

This is pic that is totally irrelevant but loren's favourite of nate before we cut his hair short (and now shorter still), not sure what it is about his present hairstyle but it makes look older and so we expect him to behave like an older boy.

Anyway, about teeth... ike and his teeth, he is really particular about things that are stuck in his teeth or between his teeth that I think along with his diaper kit I need a tooth kit, with floss, toothpicks and a brush, anything that gets stuck there needs to be taken out and taken out NOW.

As for noses, there was one incident with nate in Durban, just as we are about to get on the highway leaving durbs he starts shouting and crying that there is a carrot stuck up his nose. Why do kids like to stick things up their noses??? sigh, so we stop the car I go to his seat and try to get him to blow it out, that failed so I then had to do the olivia trick, ie suck his nose, urgh, not recommended, still failed... but then could see which nostril it was in, I then blocked the opposite nostril and had him blow hard, luckily it dislodged and popped out, otherwise the medical center was 100 m down the road fm where we stopped.

Someday, someday I will look back and think the carrot nose incident isn't as bad as other things that he will do, today a neighbour said at 15 he built a home made bomb and blasted a 2 foot hole in his parents back yard, hmm that could be handy know how for planting trees?