Merry Christmas and a Happy 2009 to All!

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you:
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.

-Irish Blessing

The AlpsWe actually waited for the cows to come home.
An annual autumn festival where the livestock descend from the mountain grazing pastures to hide from the impending winter weather.

We recently visited my cousins in Switzerland. I was told it's just across the road, but you have to sit on an airplane to get there. I don't remember much of the journey as I was sleeping most of the way. Papa just said it was a lot of sitting to do. It was a very enjoyable trip cos I got to play with my two cousins Ollie and Owen every day. It was a much needed break for papa too and a relaxing time to catch up with my Uncle Adrian and Aunty Iris. The trip went by smoothly and everyone had a great time. I was on my best behavior, as usual. I hope we get to cross that road again soon.

My first experience of Autumn. So many golden leaves everywhere!
Papa says its the time of the year when the trees get rid of their rubbish by shedding their leaves.

My cousin Ollie juggling the rubbish.

Pure mountain water spouting everywhere to drink. And it's free.

Pristine rivers flow through the town of Lucerne

The 3 Amigos with coats to match! You think grandma was a little too enthusiastic with the wardrobe?

One of the best parts of the holiday was the fun we had in all the wonderful parks and well-equipped play grounds.

The simplicity of childhood

3rd Basketball Memorial Game for mummy...

Pre-game work out to loosen up those rippling muscles...

Procure a ball...

Here I come...

Woohoo! My opening basket...

A beautiful game...

Ambitious half court shot!

Can't touch me...

Basketball scrum!

Yeah, this is so much easier...

Take a bow guys...

C'mon everyone, we can do better!

Ok, ok, that's better.
A big thank you to Aunty Sheena and Prisca for organising yet another successful memorial.
Thank you for all the wonderful friends that turned up in support.
Friendship at its best. Friendship at its purest

We love and miss you very much mummy!

3rd Frances Ng Basketball Memorial 2008:
The time has arrived yet again for the traditional gathering of friends and kindred souls to remember our much beloved Frances. The venue has been kindly sponsored by her alma mater, at the CHIJ Toa Payoh premises. Date is set for the 20th of September, Saturday. Time, 4 pm onwards. Please come if you can to catch up, reminisce & play with Evan.

Used to be so easy, to give my heart away,
But I found out the hard way
There's a price you have to pay,
I found out that love, is no friend of mine,
I should have known, time after time,
So long, it was so long ago,
But I've still got the blues for you

Used to be so easy, fall in love again,
But I found out the hard way
It's a road that leads to pain,
I found that love, was more than just a game,
Playing to win, but you lose just the same,
So long, it was so long ago,
But I've still got the blues for you,

So many years, since I've seen your face,
But here in my heart, there's an empty space you used to be,
So long, it was so long ago,
But I still got the blues for you,
Though the days come and go
There is one thing I know,
I've still, got the blues, for you.

-Gary Moore, Still Got The Blues For You.

The Intrepid Adventures of Evan and Vee "in the Congo"

"They're after us! Let's get out of here, quick!"

"Ok, ok, I'm driving as fast as I can!"

"Oh no, the front wheel's stuck!"

"So is the rear wheel!"

"Here they come!"

"Quick, put it into reverse!"

"Let me take over..."

"I think it's curtains for us..."

"You run and I'll keep them busy!"

"That's another fine mess you've got me into..."

Charging ahead into the jungle of life

Evan continues to grow well. Despite lingering concerns for his motor development and vocalisation, he thrives and appears to be developing normally albeit slower. It's amazing how much change you fail to notice when you spend so much time around someone. Most people who haven't seen him for some time usually remark how big he has grown. I guess he is growing. Ironically the only stark testimony to his growth, for me, is reflected in his simple diapers. His gradual demands for bigger diapers brings home the message that my baby boo-boo is sadly, no longer little. Just this week, we've had to upgrade him to the 'XL' sized diapers in order to fit all the urine that his 13kg body is generating. A far cry from the size 'S' that he used to crawl in only yesterday it seems.

Me & Oscar are pals

Despite my gratefulness at his relentless growth, lingering concerns about his slow physical development continue to permeate the fabric of my imagination. Is he just slower or is there a problem that will rear its head unannounced somewhere down the road? Will I be able to cope with the disappointment and sorrow of such a tragedy? I guess I've been through worse. The innocence is heart rending. Only time will tell.

'Gotcha!'

My impersonation of a 'cat nap'

I loved her like the leaves,
The lush green leaves of spring
That pulled down the willows
on the bank's edge
where we walked
while she was of this world.
I built my life on her.
But man cannot flout
the laws of this world.
To the shimmering wide fields hidden by the white cloud,
white as white silk scarf
she soared away like the morning bird,
hid from our world like the setting sun.
The child, the gift she left behind- he cries for food; but always
finding nothing that I might give him,
I pick him up & hold him in my arms.
On the pillows where we lay,
My wife & I, as one,
I pass the daylight lonely till the dusk,
the black night sighing till the dawn.
I grieve and grieve and know no remedy.
I ache and know no road where I might meet her.

- Kakinonoto Hitomaro, Japan, 7th century

Can I have my cake and eat it too pweety please?


"The Terrible Twos!" Seriously, it takes two to Tchaikovsky!

It's been awhile. Life has been busy. Not any easier, but at least certifiably occupied. I've been growing in the meanwhile. People who haven't seen me for some time say I am tall. Papa says I eat well, and eat a lot. That's supposed to be good for a growing boy. I've been having my fair share of bugs and fever, but much to the relief of papa, much less than before. I am also much more assertive than ever, much to everyone's chagrin. Coupled with my innate skills in squirminess, gets me much of what I want these days. Most of the time at least. I am exploring the world of vocalisation lately. I am currently trying to decide between two languages- English and Bablyish. My enunciation needs improving, but I'm learning new words and phrases each passing day. Stay tuned!

I just made funny patterns all over the clean wall with my crayons!

Four letters that I look forward to- HFMD! Every time papa says those words, I get to skip school and stay at home, play on the beach, swim in the pool and generally not do very much except sip milk under the hot tropical sun. There has been a major outbreak of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Singapore lately, and one of my schools had to shut down in order to bring the outbreak under control. Papa says that HFMD is not usually a nasty bug, but moderately infectious and because almost a quarter of this year's outbreak involved the potentially deadly EV71 (Enterovirus) strain, most people are afraid.

My latest review with my doctors have confirmed that I am still behind in my gross motor development. My muscle tone and posture are still not there yet. Papa is also watching the situation with my speech development closely. I can only try my best, and papa says that's enough for him.



I recently visited a local goat farm with my buddy Vee Shen. I love animals, though I'm not sure if they like me. Papa says its something to do with my tail and ear pulling that doesn't help very much. It was a smelly affair, and I even got to feed them with grass. Papa bought some goat's milk for me to drink, but I didn't like it very much.



"row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream"

rain.
it rained.
I
fell.
it
rained
I
loved.
it
rained.
I lost.
it
rained.
It
loved.
I
rained.
rain.