Great Expectations

We're getting ready for our next great adventure.

We still don't know where we're going to be next year but, we are expecting another little one to join us for the ride!

Baby Tsoi #3 is coming in April 2015 and we are so excited!

Dinners At Grill'd

Somehow, Grill'd has become our family's restaurant of choice when it comes to celebrations and significant events. We've celebrated many birthdays and an anniversary at Grill'd. We've shared dinner with many friends and brought our family to Grill'd when they visit. It's just a part of our life here in Brisbane*.

Within the first few days of my family arriving in Australia, my mom insisted that we had to take my sister to Grill'd for burgers. 

We brought her, she tried it and it was good.

We went back again tonight for dinner to celebrate their time here. I can't believe it's been a month since they arrived and it's time for them to go home again! Time passes by too quickly.

*I have to say, the quality of their burgers has gone down a bit since the first time I had their food. And the amount of chips in their regular serve has gone down as well. I'm hoping the decline doesn't continue or we might have to find a new place to celebrate our special occasions!

They're Here!

My parents and my sister arrived from Hong Kong this morning.

I'm so glad today was such a sunny day, because yesterday was cold and wet, and that wouldn't have been a very nice way to welcome them to Brisbane.

In-car selfie! How many heads can we fit into the picture? Clearly influenced by their memory-keeping mom, my boys know when to look at a camera and smile.

Yee yee (auntie) time wouldn't be complete without a bit of fun and silliness. "Get in your box!" Nathan yelled and they all scrambled into a space. Then I rearranged them for a nice little traffic light-inspired photo.

And thank goodness for my sister who doesn't mind running with Nathan who's way too fast for Caleb and I to keep up with now.

We're all so excited for them to be here.

Finding Treasures

While Andrew's parents were visiting, we brought them to the Gold Coast for an afternoon at one of our favourite spots.

After a nice lunch at Peter's, we headed for the beach but when we got there, it was nothing like we had ever seen before.

Every other time we visited that exact beach, the sand was pristine and the water was clear as far as the eye could see. This time when we arrived, the sand was covered in all sorts of debris and there was seaweed and twigs being tossed in the waves.

Oh, and a sandbar with fish and jellyfish trapped between it and the shore. The boys loved being able to stand on their own two feet all the way out there.

I can only assume that this is all due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald that moved through Queensland a week earlier.

Normally, I prefer the white sandy beaches because you never have to worry about stepping on anything hard or sharp. But sometimes, I miss the opportunity to find treasures in the sand so this time around, I didn't mind the rocks and shells poking at my feet as much.

I dragged Andrew with me for a walk along the shore to look for shells and rocks to add to my collection. As you can see, he didn't mind one bit.

Further along the beach, we found a jellyfish that had been caught in the sand as the tide went out. This was one of many that dotted the beach that day.

I was amazed by the size of this jellyfish. It was about as big as a (deflated) soccer ball! The boys were fascinated but I had to warn them not to touch it - just in case.

I wonder if I can convince Andrew to go back to see what other treasures we can find!

Goodbye, Dragon!

Tonight we went out for tuen leen fahn (New Year's Eve dinner).

A not-so traditional dinner for a not-so traditional Chinese family.

As we started our dinner, we heard the familiar drum beats that accompany the lion dance out on the street. Caleb loves dancing to beats, so he wanted to go outside to see what all the commotion was about.

Soon enough, three lions found their way into the restaurant and danced around our tables. Because there were three, it was hard for us to keep track of them all and often, one would pop up behind one of the boys scaring them.

One of them gave Caleb a fright but the girl inside was nice enough to smile and wave to him. I reassured him that it was just a lion costume and he seemed to be okay with the idea of lions. He cheered up and started roaring so I'm hoping that means I won't be up in the middle of the night with a little boy having nightmares.

The lions eventually left the restaurant and we continued chowing down on our (over) abundance of food in peace.

We bid farewell to the year of the dragon with full bellies and look forward to welcoming the year of the snake tomorrow morning!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Stormy Weather

Andrew took this panorama of the dark clouds gathering outside our house this past weekend.

Soon after that picture was taken, the skies exploded and rain came pouring down. After a little while, a strong wind accompanied the rain and it started coming down horizontally and completely drenched our balcony.

It rained through the day and into the night.

i'm okay with storms, i marvel at how powerful it is, i love listening to the sound of rain hitting our tin roof.
but i have to admit, the thunder that night was the loudest i've ever heard and there was one crack that made me jump out of my skin. and losing power while i was sitting alone at my desk was a little eerie.

in the morning, the storm had passed, and i thought the worst part was over.

Though it was rainy earlier in the day and the sun broke through the clouds. We had some gorgeous sunlight for a couple hours.

Then, the sky darkened rapidly.

Just as Andrew and i were talking about making dinner, it started to hail. I was a little excited at first, because those almost-tennis-ball-sized hail was the largest I've ever seen. I was tempted to open the door and take a better picture outside, but the thought of being pelted by one of those ice balls stopped me.

That excitement soon dissolved as I realized how scary it was for Caleb (and Nathan, too) so I moved them from where they were sitting in the play room and sat them on my computer chair as I watched the storm outside.

Then next thing you know, PLING!... PLING!PLING!PLING!

As soon as I heard that sound, I knew the hail broke some glass.

The sheer loudness of the storm outside was incredible and I had to shout to Andrew who was standing beside me to tell him that the window in the boys' playroom where they were sitting just minutes earlier had been smashed. Luckily, the shades were pulled down so it contained most of the glass and hail.

The next couple minutes were a blur. We rushed around, checking the rest of the windows in the house, comforting the boys and when the storm finally calmed, cleaning up the mess.

By the time I got around to photographing these ice balls, they had melted down significantly. They were huge.

Despite the Bureau of Meteorology reporting that the storm has headed north, I went along with my mama bear instincts and moved the boys to our bedroom for the night.

Nathan's bed is directly under a large window and even though the storm had passed and his window is on the other side of the house from the broken window, I didn't want him to be there just in case another freak storm rolled through and shattered more glass. 

Plus, both of the boys were pretty shaken from the storm and broken glass so I think it'll help them feel more safe and secure.

The boys were thrilled with the new sleeping arrangements.

We're so thankful that none of us got hurt, and that even though we have a broken window, Andrew has boarded it up, we've closed the door to that room and carry on as usual.

Swimming with Gung Gung

It happened to be grandparents week at Caleb's swimming school while my parents were here so my dad volunteered to take Caleb for his lesson.

The week before, Caleb spent most of his swimming lesson waving to my parents who were watching from the deck. I figured he'd really enjoy the chance to swim with gung gung.

They both seemed to enjoy each other's company in the pool. Caleb had no problem jumping into the water with my dad and my dad didn't seem too scared by Caleb's fearless ways.

Afterwards, we were treated to complementary coffee/tea and a cake by the swim school, which we enjoyed on the sunny patio.

And They're Off

How has it already been 18 days since Andrew picked my parents up from the airport, arriving at our home just past midnight in time to be greeted by Caleb who happened to wake from sleeping?

I can't believe tomorrow morning, after we drop Nathan off at school, we'll have to be saying bye to my parents as they fly out to HK.

My parents' visit has flown by so quickly but in this short time, we have been so spoiled.

Andrew and I have barely had to do dishes, laundry or cook because my mom gets it all done before we even think to do it.

Andrew and I haven't gotten to spend as much time with the boys because they're always playing or hanging out with my dad.

We pulled Nathan out of school for a week so both of the boys and I could fly down to Melbourne with my parents for a week. We spent just about every moment together - those posts will come very soon.

My parents have explored Brisbane and Melbourne and they've seen a glimpse of what our life here in Brisbane is like, from swim lessons and soccer games, to our favourite restaurants and hang-out spots.

I can't wait until the boys have their grandparents as a regular part of their lives again.

Buds

My parents arrived late Thursday night. By the time they got to our home, it was well past midnight and little Caleb decided he wanted to be part of the welcoming committee.

Though he let my dad hold him, Caleb was a little unsure and soon wanted to be back in Andrew's arms.

The next morning was a different story.

After dropping Nathan off at school, my dad and I came home and from that moment on, Caleb and my dad were inseparable. They played together in the playroom for a long time, and if my dad ever left Caleb's side, you can be sure that Caleb went searching for him right away.

All through the day, Caleb found ways to play with gung gung. Then when Nathan got home, they all hung out together.


This morning, everyone piled into the car to go to Nathan's soccer game only to get to the field and find that the games had been cancelled due to huge puddles.

We ended up going to the West End markets, where my parents and the boys sampled their way through the stalls. Then, we went to South Bank to check out the French Festival. At both places, both the boys wanted to walk with my parents instead of Andrew or me.

I knew Nathan was super excited about their visit and that he missed our family in Toronto, but I didn't think Caleb would warm up to them so quickly!

By late afternoon, my dad and the boys were in the backyard kicking soccer balls around just like they were a few months ago in my parents' backyard, as if this was something they did together on a regular basis.

I couldn't help but think this is the way it should be.

I really like that the boys can get to know their grandparents and enjoy spending time with them. I just wish that they could see each other more often, the way Nathan used to see all four of his grandparents all the time.

Face to Face

Hard to believe that in less than two weeks, these two will be hanging out together.

Face to face.

Yee yee will no longer be someone who only exists within the confines of the black frame!

ER Week 2 Round Up

I think I've finally got a hang of this pseudo-single-parenting business this week. I'm feeling much more confident and productive during the week. Thing is, I've been losing out on doing my own thing which is why you haven't see any sewing or paper posts lately. Hoping to balance that out soon.


I put in my order for a Canadian flag this week. Who knew you could own a flag that's been flown over Parliament Hill? All you have to do is ask, then wait 20 years (or 32 if you want the really gigantic one, which I did at first but then I wasn't sure what I'd do with a massive flag like that).

Today, we drove north to Caloundra. It was overcast when we left this morning, but by the time we hit the Sunshine Coast, it was perfect beach weather.


And after spending a much-deserved day at the beach, I've realized a few things:

1. I regret jumping off that 30-Day Shred bandwagon. Yes, I admit, I definitely did not make it to the end of 30 days. I didn't even make it to the end of a week. I did exactly 3. In my defence, I would totally have kept on going except that I hate sweating and I got turned off by Jillian's less-than-witty comments.

2. I need to update my wardrobe to better fit this hot and humid climate!

3. I can get used to this impromptu beach day business. It's a chance to get out and explore Australia. It's easy, cheap and fun. We get to spend time together as a family. Wins all around!

Come Back Soon

A few short hours ago, Andrew drove my mom to the airport. A few minutes before that, Nathan snuck out of his room to say goodbye to her one last time. And in 45 minutes, she'll be boarding a plane to Hong Kong.

Ever since we got married, Andrew and I have only ever had a few overnight guests. It wasn't until our parents arrived that we had to entertain visitors for more than two days. Before my mom's arrival, I had envisioned going out and doing something different with her every single day.

After about a week and a half of showing her around the city and doing touristy things, we all settled into a rhythm. Thank goodness, because after our trip down to Sydney, my body was extremely exhausted and my legs were aching from walking all day with the added weight of Caleb sitting in the carrier.

We all got really used to having my mom around. She became part of our routine. She was a huge help with the boys, watching over Caleb as he started to side-step along the couch and doing Nathan's bedtime things every night. She got up every morning and made breakfast for us, when Andrew and I were so exhausted from staying up with a super-congested, super-cranky teething baby and cooked dinner most nights. She came to drop off and pick Nathan up most days, and others she would spend the day exploring the city by herself.


It's hard to believe her three-and-a-half weeks here have come and gone. It already feels a little quieter and emptier without her here. But we're glad she visited and hope she had a good time here.

Sydney With The Grandparents

At first I was going to write a full-on post about our trip down to Sydney but with a house full of sick people, my mom leaving in a week a couple days tomorrow and me trying to get back into the swing of things before she leaves, I just don't have the time. So here's the Coles Notes version.

Day 1:
We all got up at 5am so we could take the train to the airport for our 8am flight. We survived the flight down to Sydney, just barely. Nathan sat with my dad and Caleb was with my mom and I. Little guy got super bored very quickly but finally fell asleep towards the end of the flight - just like his brother used to!


At the Sydney airport, we grabbed our luggage and bought some MyMulti Day Passes*. We took the train to our accommodations in Double Bay to drop off our luggage and we were off to explore.


Nathan was so tired from getting up early, he conked out on the bus, on our way to Bondi Beach.


My parents had to carry him on and off the buses and he slept in the stroller that he's completely outgrown.


We bypassed the beach and went to Watson's Bay just in time to watch the sun set.


Then we headed home, grabbed some groceries at Coles and my dad cooked us a steak dinner at home.


*Multi Day Passes were a great idea because we could hop on bus, train or ferry and get anywhere we wanted without having to worry about fares or reloading our cards during our stay. These passes last 7 days - more than we needed for our 3 day stay.


Day 2:
First thing on our list was the Sydney Fish Market. I'm not a big seafood fanatic by any means but my parents definitely are. So we hopped on the ferry which, we discovered, went right by the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge so we got a couple really good shots without having to head out to Lady Macquarie's Chair (dubbed one of the best vantage points in Sydney) or take a ferry boat tour*.




After a long walk, we finally arrived at the Fish Markets, feeling hot, a little tired and hungry.


It was packed with people from tour buses so we quickly got in line to get some food. My parents got their oysters and prawns, Nathan had prawn cutlets and I had a really crappy fish and chips.


At first we sat inside but we quickly moved outside for a bit more space and fresh air.


Then, we got on a tram to go back towards Paddy's Market where we spent a good chunk of time wandering the aisles. It reminded me a little of the markets in Hong Kong. Lots of stuff packed into tiny stalls.


We strolled across the street to Chinatown, then we slowly made our way back to Circular Quay, through Darling Quarters and Cockle Bay to meet up with Andrew's parents and their friends for dinner.



*Awesome news if you're tight on time and want to save a bit of money!


Day 3:
We spent a little bit of time walking around the outside of the Opera House, taking in the scenery.




We had morning tea on a bench beside the water, then slowly made our way towards the Sydney Aquarium.


We stopped for a nice relaxing lunch on a park bench at The Rocks and enjoyed the light breeze. Caleb had a little something to munch on as well.


Then my parents treated me and the boys to a trip to the Sydney Aquarium. We ran into Andrew's parents at the entrance so we all went together. Except that we got separated from my parents half way through and unfortunately didn't meet up with them again until the end.


Before this trip to Sydney, I had been researching places to take the boys in case the chance for me, Andrew and the boys to go down ever came up. The aquarium was highly recommended and the fact that Lego was somehow involved, it became an even bigger attraction. Also, they have these really neat tunnels you can walk through and it's like you're in the middle of the tank with all the fish, sharks and other creatures swimming around you.




We ended the day at Marigold (a restaurant highly recommended by many of our friends for their dim sum) for dinner with my parents' friends they haven't seen in 20 years.



Day 4:
Our last day was a re-do of our first day.

We bused to Bondi Beach where my parents found yet another market to check out. Doesn't matter where they are - they always manage to find some sort of farmer's market or something of that nature to walk through.


Then we actually spent a little time on the beach, though Nathan would argue we didn't spend nearly enough time. We caught a bus to Watson's Bay, or rather, we caught two buses because my mom and Nathan were on the first bus when the driver told my dad and I to get off and wait for the next "wheelchair accessible bus" because the stroller was open. Then, a wheelchair bus came but they didn't go to Watson's Bay. So we waited for another bus and same story as the first bus, except I got annoyed and told the guy we had already waited for 20 minutes and couldn't get on the last two buses so he waited for us to fold up the stroller.


Finally, we met up with my mom and Nathan at Watson's Bay, had a quick lunch at Doyle's and Nathan played on the little beach while we waited for our ferry back to Circular Quay.


There, we wandered through The Rocks Markets for a little while before getting on the train to go to the airport. That's where my mom's Finding Nemo story happened but I'll have to save that for another day.


We met up with Andrew's parents at the airport and headed for home, where Andrew was waiting for us and had been doing housework and studying diligently the entire time.



Wow, this post turned out way longer and picture-heavy than I had anticipated! If you made it to the end, thank you so much for sticking around. You're a real trooper!