Easter Sunday Egg Hunt by Adrian

And may the odds eggs be ever in your favor-Katniss Everdeen Brandon....!

Good luck Brandon

Can you spot the eggs? Brandon: Yeah...! Let me show you daddy. Ahem ..ahem .! Daddy was the one who hid it and mommy also helped as well.

Egg #1

Egg #2

Egg #3

Egg #4

Egg #5

Within two minutes Brandon spotted the first egg.

Brandon: Daddy I found the first one..!

Brandon: I found another one...!

Another...!

Mission accomplished. Found all...! Time to go in and watch my Kung Fu Panda

Five eggs made by mommy and one from school 

Happy Easter everyone from Serene, Brandon and Adrian.

Spring is in the air
by Adrian

After a long winded winter, the sign of spring is finally coming. Before the winter, I planted bulbs and tulips at the side of our fence. The result is very encouraging consider I saw signs of shoots coming from its bulbs.

Shoot coming out the bulb planted last Fall

Besides seeing the sign of spring is approaching, we also saw Brandon making lots of progress. He is walking and very engaging. His spontaneous giggles and funny acts have been our end of day "de-stress" elixir.

Brandon posing his "Viva Las Vegas" act

Brandon being "cute" after coming home from daycare

Pardon us for not updating for more frequently. It is quite taxing juggling between work, doing house work, blogging and taking care of a toddler. Anyway, stay tune for more updates as there are lots new activities lined up for the rest of the year.

Heaven Hill Farm
by Adrian Yong

Since Halloween is approaching, we thought it might be good idea to check out the pumpkin farms around our area. After searching a few websites online and reading the reviews, we finally decided to check out Heaven Hill Farm. Our initial plan was to bring Brandon and have a nice picture taking action on the pumpkin field. See for yourself what we did over the weekend.

Heaven Hill Farm signage next to the entrance

Mini gourds

Pumpkins and scare crows

Hayride entrance

Strollers parking (we are not the only one with baby)

New York Giants Pumpkin

Brandon putting a surprise face next to the pumpkin

The verdict: The attractions are fun, line for the food is bit long and a bit pricey on the flowers & food items (as expected). We do not mind going back to the farm again when Brandon is old enough to have the hayride.

Philadelphia's Trip on Labor Day weekend (September 6, 2010)
by Adrian Yong

It has been a while since our last road trip with Brandon. His first road trip was Atlantic City when he was about five months old. We didn't do much as he was too little to be moving around plus the weather wasn't that great.

We have been to Philadelphia many times but since we just want to get away as a family, we figured this would be a good place for a start. Some of Philly's landmarks are just fun to go back again and again. Unfortunately, we didn't go to a lot of the regular places including the Independence Hall. It was covered with scaffolding for an on going restoration project hence not photo-friendly. Plus, with a baby in tow, it is hard to move around as well. Please view the photos of the places we managed to visit.

Reading Terminal Market

Fresh produce at Reading Terminal Market

Biscotti at Reading Terminal Market

Indulgence - sinful desserts at Reading Terminal Market

Custom order chocolate shop at Reading Terminal Market

Benjamin Franklin (Founder of U Penn)

U Penn campus building

Students' notice board at U Penn campus (Reminded me of my college days)

The world famous Wharton School of Business

Finally, Joyous Brandon on the hotel bed

Stay tune for future road trips with Brandon. I am sure we will have more to come. End of the year trip home on the plane will be a torture an adventure. We hope Brandon will be good. It's such a long flight!

Brandon's First Trip to the New York City and about

We were supposed to go the Malaysian Consulate to apply for Brandon's Malaysian Birth Certificate to avoid complication visiting our parents in Malaysia at the end of the year. Somehow, I have this feeling things might work as smoothly when dealing with Malaysian civil service. So I called the Malaysian Consulate in New York and surely enough the officer has other engagement on the day we plan to go submit the application. They should have a relieve officer as a back up and not relying on just one person. Well, that's Malaysian civil service for you.

Anyway, since both of us (Serene and Adrian) were having a flex day, we just went ahead and brought Brandon to the city for the first time. Plus Serene's co-workers have been waiting to see Brandon in person for months. Relax and enjoy viewing the pictures..!

Brandon and mommy at Fulton Street Subway Station

Brandon and Daddy (Little Italy -background decorative propping for Feast of Saint Gennaro)

Century 21. If you are in the vicinity of the former World Trade Center, you should check out the "super" discounted departmental store. They carry surplus branded stocks.

Construction activities at the former World Trade Center Site

The controversial Park 51

Here is our take on the controversial mosque project at 49-51 Park Place New York. We suggest Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf to move the mosque to another location respecting the relatives of the victims of 9-11 attacks. Yes, he has the legal rights to build a mosque in the area but he should be sensitive to the families of the victims of the 911 attacks.

Let me tell you a similar story some years ago. A group of Carmelite nuns was living at a convent adjoining Auschwitz and it outraged the Jewish community. This is because the converted convent building was originally been a theater but was utilized during World War II to store gas used in the Auschwitz-Birkenau crematoria.

Out of respect to the Jewish people and at the request of the late Pope John Paul II, the Carmelite nuns moved to another convent in 1993. I think Imam Feisal should do the same. What do you think?

Six months plus

Brandon is doing very well and everyday is a new experience for us. We can't believe it is already passed six months. Enjoy the pictures.

Brandon in his favorite ExerSaucer

Brandon on his feeding chair

Brandon with his mommy

Happy Belated Mother's Day

This year is a special Mother's Day celebration. It was Serene's first mother's day. We had lunch at East Japanese restaurant together with grandma. Brandon was with us alright (sleeping). Anyway, happy belated mother's day to all the mothers out there.

Here is one just for Serene.

Happy belated mother's day mommy from Brandon

A little over four months old- Brandon

He has just turn a little over four months and has been in daycare for almost a month. Despite all the worries and concern about him, it is a truly a life changing experience no money can buy. "Priceless" as the MasterCard ad says it.

Thank mommy for the massage. Zzzzzzzzz!

Little Buddha

Your face look funny daddy..!

3 Months Old

Brandon is little more than 3 months old. Time flies as it was like yesterday he was born to the world. He is eating well, sleeping well and bossy (High Royal Highness King Brandon) as well. Don't be fooled by his cute face.

"Hi everyone" expression

Gu gu ga ga expression

I smile for you expression

We are back home (Phone line still down)

As soon as we heard the news from our kind neighbor Gert that the power was restored (around 10am), we checked out from Holiday Inn and proceeded back home after 4 days of staying in hotel (s). Brandon is happy as well (see his expression below). He was cranky the day before probably his way of telling us he is tired of staying at the hotel. We don't blame him either as we are getting sick of the stay as well. Nothing beats "home sweet home" said Brandon.

Brandon right before we packed and checked out

Broken phone line in front of our house

Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.

Post-Storm Update (Power is still out)

Brandon is wondering why we (grandma, mommy and daddy) stayed in two different hotels within two days but no sightseeing. That is because this is not a vacation and we stayed in two hotels because we have no power at home.

Why two hotels you asked. The first hotel (Hilton Garden Inn) did not have vacancies for the second night so we have to switch to Holiday Inn to extend our stay. The power is still out as the Township of Teaneck could not keep up with clearing the trees that were uprooted. The high-school (Teaneck High School) located at our street was closed today and will be closed again tomorrow. Hint: Power is still out.

Since Brandon can't tell the difference between a hotel and his home, he cries whenever he wants and that makes us worried about our neighbor filing a complaint and get us kicked out from the hotel. Sleep Brandon or else we will be homeless and freezing....!

Brandon enjoying his formula at the hotel with grandma holding him

Brandon little over 2 months old

Hi Everyone