Happy 3rd Birthday my gorgeous!

My 'little' girl turns 3 years old today and I have also officially neglected my blog for an entire year!!!!! I HAVE attempted to update my blog for a number of times but somehow I just never gotten around to it.... Oh well, late better than never!

Rayray is a little chatter box at the age of 3 and adores EVERYTHING that's PEPPA PIG! She is one little mad monkey who is endearing, brave, stubborn and yet ever so affectionate. She is just my perfect baby. 

                 Playing football and having a picnic in Hyde Park in June this year

She has turned into a little grown-up since we got back to London in May. It was amazing to see how kids pick up languages so quickly. Even though we speak English at home she couldn't speak in full sentences, but after two months of nursery (yes I sent her back to Zoom for two full days in June and July) and mingling with other kids and I guess just being in an English-speaking environment. She started constructing full sentences and came out with new vocabularies on daily basis! It was just wonderful to see how kiddies progress! Even though she 'forgot' her Chinese during the months we were in London, she quickly picked it up again when we got back to Taiwan in August. It probably took her a month or so to start speaking Chinese with Confidence.

She dropped her LTN completely by mid June and gosh it was as if we entered a new era! There was no need to push around the buggy anymore, and no more stop-eating-in-the-middle-of-a-meal because we had to stick the the routine business. Oh and not to mention the joy of travelling without a buggy! We walked everywhere or monkey could just hop on her scooter and whizz around! Therefore we didn't use the buggy not even for once since we got back. It was simply wonderful. 

At Claie's wedding in May

On a hot hot summer's day

This was taken in Feb and her expression just cracks me up every time I see it

Loves being in her little chef's costume

We started potting train her back in December, I said started I meant with the help from school, she would wear training pants at school in the morning and 'sometimes' when I was brave enough I would let her go nappy free in the afternoon but if truth to be told, I wasn't brave most of the time! hahaha! T officially trained her in February when I went back to London for a week and I have to say he did an incredible job and although she still has odd accidents every now and then, I am very pleased that she was fully potty trained at 27 months. She rarely wees in her nappy at night during the summer but I still let her wear nappy at night time. On the eve of her third birthday, she told T herself that she was a big girl now and she didn't want to wear nappy anymore and that was it! No more nappy at nighttime!

Do we look alike?

At The Cut, No.45 Park Lane

Playing the ball in the health in Blackheath in June

A very typical monkey climbing over and around me

At Yo! Sushi with Charlotte

Waiting for Thames clipper after a play date in South Bank

At 36 months, Rayray weighs 15.5kg and is around 95cm tall. She loves going to her gymnastics, ballet and football classes and hopefully I will get her started on swimming and piano soon. I was never the type of mums that wanting kids to go to difference classes everyday especially Rayray started full day at school in the beginning of November just before baby number 2 arrives. However, Rayray seems to enjoy all the after school clubs plus she asks to do various classes herself. 

On the way to Museum of Bank of England with Laurence and Rosa

At London Transport Museum

My happy monkey lying on the grass at Coworth Park, Ascot

After lunch at Amaya and I wonder if it was all the Indian spices made her so hyper? lol

At lego exhibition In Taipei in September

Dressing up as a 'Doctor' at ACC

School trip to Taipei Zoo in October

She looooves dressing up in her tutu!

Gongxi gongxi at CNY this year

All dressed up in pink on a rainy day

In Greenwich park with Rosa in June!

Making her very own cake at school today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY my Raychi! You are my heart, my world, my everything! Mummy loves you so much and may you stay as mad, loving and confident as you are!

24th month - HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY RAYCHI!

My gorgeous darling Rayray

Happy Bithday Rayray! It only seemed yesterday you were a baby in my arms and now you are two!

Rayray has grown so much in the last few months (and yes I slacked off blogging the last two months but it had been two MAD months as been travelling and now we are back in Taiwan yet again!) that I honestly can't keep track of her developmental progress as she comes up with new words, new sentences or even new moves everyday! LOL 

On the way back from London and she just couldn't get enough of the remote as her phone!

I can now quite confidently describe Rayray as an outgoing, friendly (on some occasions 'overly friendly' with little people she REALLY likes, particularly her dearest LoLo and of course Baby Maddie! She would say Lolo constantly if she could and always gives Maddie BIG cuddles and kisses when she sees her!), and extremely funny (well, at least in my and T's eyes) and a super attention seeker! She has always been very observant in new environments but once she feels confident (usually 10-15 minutes later) she starts to mingle with other kids or grown-ups. I am sure most kids like attentions but Rayray particularly likes drawing people's attention and this extends to people on the tube, buses, taxi drivers or even other mums and dads in playgroups!

Playdate with lovely Laurence, aka LoLo

We had a mini cosy birthday gathering for Rayray the weekend before her birthday at Sheraton Sukhothai and it was just so lovely to have her little friends around while enjoying some rather decent Thai food!

Posing with Ollie and Momo

 A delicious Dora dark chocolate cake made by Sunnie

After lunch, we all went to Joyce's place for a little playdate and the kids all seemed to enjoy themselves!

This is was taken when we first got back to Taiwan in October, just before her swimming class.

I just LOVE this photo! A playdate at Leo's and Guji's expression just makes me laugh! ''Errrr, what's HER problem? ''

Likes: 

- Rayray loves books, reading and can spend good 15-20 mins on her own flicking through books and sometimes she would come to me or T asking us to read her stories which we do every evening anyway but she can read her book at any time of the day.

- 

At Taipei Eslite 

Daddy's sweetheart

Birthday girl looking rather pleased with a gold balloon on her special day!

Motherhood is one tough lesson to learn yet it is so rewarding and I will not change it for anything in the world.

My 35th Birthday

Ever after I turned 30 I honestly don't remember what birthday I celebrate each year...sad,  I know...but I was once told that things go down hill for women after turning 30! I don't agree with that as I only started to really get to know myself after 30 and I certainly feel my life before Rayray almost seemed futile!

So this year I celebrated my 35th at The Goring.

I think Rayray was staring at the cake! lol

Photo session before food arrived

I loved the ambiance and food. (we were busy chatting and taking photos and drinking, I completely forgot to take the photos!) It was airy, bright, and very spacious which is absolutely essential for us now with a baby in tow. I thought the service was impeccable. The kept the drinks flowing and even got Rayray a soft toy! 

My personal photographer 

Tao was busy taking photos and looking after Rayray (yes since I was the birthday girl, I was allowed to relax and drink!) that we didn't get to take a photo together as a family!!!

Mr Superstar

Yummy Russian cake from Joce!

Sadly Jocelyn had to work that day so she couldn't join us. Though I was really touched that she got a cake for me and it was the current favourite in the Vale! (as we live in Crosslet Vale) I don't even know how to describe the size of the cake! It was massive! It must have been 10cm thick and a size of a MacBook Pro! (actually I would say a bit wider than the notebook) Basically it is a honey torte with LAYERS of honey sponge cake soaked in luscious caramel creamy filling. I have only tasted from Harrods so I don't know what others taste like but this is soooo good that we actually finished the whole cake!

It was such a glorious day and I felt truly blessed! I might be a year older but I certainly feel a year better! 

Apsleys - Mao's birthday bash

This year we celebrated Doc's birthday at Apsley's at The Lansborough.

We wore the same coats but in different colours

Love the chandeliers

Simple yet elegant decor

Amuse buche - roast pigeon with parsnip puree - simply delicious

Starter No. 1 - Spaghetti with lime marinated langoustine

Starter No. 2 - Risotto with tuna, smoked aubergine and pickled ginger

Starter No. 3 - Lobster Salad

Starter No.4 - Tempura prawns with red peppers couscous and courgettes

After few glasses of bubbles and food in us, it was pressie time!!!

Baby cashmere jumper

A set of lever corkscrew, spiral and 'primary wine aromas' for a keen wine enthusiast

Spa treatment

Perfume

Last but not least - a limited edition H bangle!

Main courses:

This is what I had - Veal, sage and artichoke puree

Fillet of beef in red wine

Pigeon with crispy polenta, figs and cauliflower

Sea bass in salt crust with saffron potatoes

Dover sole and vegetables

We all enjoyed the food and the service was impeccable but I thought the portion was on the small side and the fact that we had to order some sides as there were none on the menu was a bit unusual. 

We all HAD to have desserts as a result of small portions! lol

Chef's special - lime cheesecake with banana sorbet

Tao's very impressive five arrays milk-based dessert

Orange jelly with bergamot ice cream - it was the best one in my opinion

My Mochaccino Magnum - a bit of a let-down to be honest

Birthday cake! I have to say, it was soooo tasty!!!

My kind of heaven

I should have stuck to my first instinct i.e. cheese board!

All in all, friendly staff, impeccable service, impressive ambiance, lovely food bar a few desserts. I really enjoyed that day and I hope my dearest Mao did too!!!