This photo was taken, when Sarah just turned 6 months old. I have it in a 12 X 12 inch photo for the first attempt of the top p. Somehow, this one looks better on an A4 size photo. It looks like a book cover...almost. I realized that I have these scrapbook stuffs. Rarely I use many of the embellishments or even the papers. The fact is that I think I love the papers and all the packaging. When it comes to creating, I chicken out... I realized that I love simplicity, type font.

I am going to try to do something outrages, start adding tons of embellishment..
In the meantime...using the photo for another scrapbooking stuff. I just love her eyes.. amazing. 

Ok... so its been awhile. Been busy with the holidays here . Chinese New Year mainly, accounting fun fun.. NOT!
We dread it every time we have big holidays like that. Meant the schedule is pack full of errands to do.
This holiday, however we attended Best Friends' wedding - Vick & Joey. Absolutely funny - witty couple.
Of course, Joey is my best friend for like --- FOREVER. We were in grade school, we were mean girls, gang up on the guys to play a joke on them. We were most inseparable. Until we were in college years. But we kept in contact.

This wedding is like a glue to all the 3 friends together. We love to see. Not forgetting Shandy & Jimmy and their daughters Za za & Mae Mae, whom Sarah absolutely love them to death. The wedding is held during the holidays, which makes is easy for us all to meet up. We had tons of fun meeting up with the couples.

In the meantime, Sarah's progress is tremendously improved. She is now 21 months old.
Things that she said just crack me up.

Mommy : "Wash your hands Sarah"

Sarah : "wash hands"

Sarah : " Wash it clean"

Sarah : " Good habit!" " Wash hands" " rub hands g'ther"

Smart little girl huh?

 

I was filing out a form for Sarah.. here is the question on the form

Race/Ethnicity..

Malaysian Forms
1. Malay
2. Chinese
3. Indian
4. Indigenous
5. Other

US Forms
1.Caucasian
2.Hispanic
3.African-American
4.Asian/Pacific
5.Other (fill in box)

Notice the "Other" in both forms...

If Sarah goes back to US.. the people may see her as a Chinese
While she is here in Malaysia, she is considered as Caucasian...
( One similarity on both situation both starts with "C" -- other than that it is " Other")

Wanting to do this a long time... just couldn't find a way to make it any outstanding....
Playing with garden colors...

I love simplicity... I love how this one turn out...

.

When we embark on this journey... to educate Sarah as much as we can, and as much as we want.. we never thought
it would be far beyond our expectation.

We made a video of Sarah reading her words and books.. it is so rewarding to see all our efforts pay off when she started to read. She has been able to read since she was 9 months old. We have never ever recorded her reading the words or her reading her books.So we decided it is high time to do so on tape. It is great to see other parents in the group is making the same progress. Which makes is even better. So happy that the other children is progressing fast as well.

Our persistence and her yearn for knowledge is remarkable for the past 4 months. Wish we could turn back the clock, so we can input more knowledge... ( we were so busy with the business & her being sick - not fun) -- her education was on slow mode.

I dare not post the video of the parent -- whose child is reading ( absolutely cute & smart), without her permission.
The child is Sarah's ex classmate -- age 18 months old. As for Sarah, I have not converted it yet into soft copy to upload it onto the site.

Been busy busy. I have burning burning cds for the rest of the mothers. Up till 4am this morning. The little girl is like a clockwork. Up by 6.30am . So the parents had 2 hours sleep only. It is worthwhile to see the progress with all the late nights.

She is sitting here now reading her books and asking her daddy to read more...

Yes she is only 19 months old. Already telling us that she needs to use her potty especially the big one.
Refuse to do it in her diaper. That is a good news for us. Since 2 months ago we have been trying to train her to do the small one in her potty. We were not diligent enough, plus she was almost sick for 2 weeks in Dec.

There are days she would stay off without any accidents, then there are days, we keep having it. Not been consistent.
Our goal is changing it all from diapers to panties while we are indoors and for outdoors is diaper and ask her about every other 45 mins whether she needs to do it.

Here is the catch, every time she needs to do, she DOES TELL US! BUT... it is like 2 seconds before she really needs to go. Sometimes we are able to catch it and sometimes no. Nevertheless, potty time means storybook time for her & puzzle, stacking time. She love it.

 She just love reading the books especially potty books. She reads it out a loud " I LOVE MY POTTY!!!!" -- "" POTTY POTTY!!!"  Sometimes we ran out of reading material.. this is sad .. we give her our IKEA catalog!! She thoroughly enjoys the toy & children section.

We praise her everytime she does it in her potty, and if she has an accident -- it is practice time.

See what I am saying...

School term is over. Which means a break for us. It also means that we are moving Sarah to her new school location.
Same school but they have a different location. Not any further, just that we don't have to worry about riots or demonstration downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Sarah would not be seeing her classmates, she has bonded. She absolutely love Xin Tung. Even kiss her on the cheek!!!

We went home after the last day of school. I showed Sarah this picture, taken by Xin Tung's father Shum ( Thank you!)
Then gently told Sarah that she wouldn't be seeing Xin Tung in school anymore, and that she is going to a new school.
The first thing came out from her mouth is " Xin Tung!"  and started jumping.

My heart just went out to her, because she is so excited to see her friends and attend school. I hope she realize that she will be meeting new friends and in a new location & school...

I had to talk about this software.. it is in my "WISH LIST"  I had to get it.. really. I couldn't believe the software could do so much. It is nothing like some of the Adobe Photoshop CS filters /plugins I ever come across.  Not one single picture that I print escapes from the " filter" that I use.

I am going to try to convince the partner to get it for me as a Christmas present if not, anniversary, if not, then as my birthday present. I can don't care I really want it!

Yeah baby come to me!!!!!!! Color Efex Pro 3.0
I can make so many photos looks professional ..knowing how my photography skills is not that great.  wow, I am so going to get it now!!! I can't wait.