Kohs "ba chor mee"

Hmmm... after the Singapore Food Festival on Fri, our cravings grew! Finally bought ourselves a bottle of chilli paste from the Asian grocery store... to go with yummy dry "ba chor mee"... home-made :) Haha... it has to be yummy because there's no other choice. Charis enjoyed her bowl of noodles too, just without the chilli.

Genuinely happy =)

Looking at the earlier photos taken since we came to Pittsburgh, there is no doubt that Charis had some fun times. She found a few new friends whom she went to parks and outings with. However, about a week ago, tears almost rolled down my face when I told TK about how she would stretch out her arms to touch the faces of people when I showed their photos to her... people whom she loves and who love her... people who are in so far away in Singapore. It suddenly struck us that although she was rather adjusted and contented, she didn't seem as joyful as before. She didn't sing and dance as much as she used to. She didn't enjoy being in photos as much. She must be feeling so much in her little heart and thinking so much in her little mind. Maybe too much...


The life and happiness of this little one was entrusted into our hands by God. TK and I want to do our best for her! So we started a little mission to cheer her up =) Only God knows her heart... but I'm really happy and relieved that her singing and cheerful spirit is beginning to fill our home once again. We pray daily that God will minister to her and that in her own ways, to experience God's joy and peace. The stranger who told me that she looked bored and lonely 3 weeks ago came up to me last week to say that she looks happy now! I'm so GLAD!!! Well, this is cheerful Charis sitting on a tree... genuinely happy!

Chihuly at Phipps

Link @ Phipps Conservatory And Botanical Gardens

Went to the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Been seeing this beautiful glass building that stands out against the greenary around it. Banners say "Chihuly at Phipps"... wondered what it meant until we had the chance to visit last Sat. Enjoyed both the gardens and the glass exhibits by an artist named Dale Chihuly.

Our first roast in Pittsburgh

After waiting for 3 weeks, our oven is finally working! It is actually a new cooker-cum-oven provided by the apartment management but I just couldn't get it heated up. TK thought that it was me who didn't know how to use it... until we got the maintenance guy to come... haha. I was dying to try some baking with Charis!

Immediately after the maintenance guy came to replace the faulty part yesterday, Charis and I headed off to Walmart. Also inspired by the Martha Stewart recipes, I bought a huge chicken to try roasting one... all by myself. Was it a success? Well, got to ask my guinea pigs (i.e. TK and Charis) to rate it.

Anyway, here's the before and after photos of the chicken for you to make your own conclusions... heh.

Dad, I guess you would like to see the results of my experiment after sending me the weblink =)

Storywalk @ Frick Park

The Pittsburgh Children's Library and Citiparks organise this event every year, and we were told that it is good and well attended. Although TK needed to stay home to finish some work, I decided to go ahead with the other families. Booths were scattered all over the park and there were numerous activities for the hundreds of excited children. Face painting, kite drawing, cookie decorating, music and movement, and of course the story-telling booths where the stories came alive. A great way to encourage reading in children!

Charis woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning... grouchy and fussy. Despite of that, she had a nice time there. She didn't want photos taken of her, except with the giraffe, and her new friends joint in =)

Flying high

Charis has fallen in love with the swings at the parks! She has not had a chance to play on an outdoor swing in Singapore... 'cos almost all of them have been taken away in the new playgrounds. Hmm... I wonder why? She didn't like it much on her first attempt, but now, she asks to fly high! Once in a while, TK and I join in the fun... to relive our childhood fun I guess.

After the excitement of Niagara Falls, we're back to the humdrum of everyday life as TK attends school. Just Charis and I. We were bored this morning and decided to take a car ride down hill to explore the area near our apartment. To much joy, we discovered a small park (Bora Park) with a playground just at the bottom of the hill. I didn't expect this find as there are mainly houses down below. A wide smile broke out on her bored face when we caught sight of it =) Of course, she ran right up to the swing and had a time of fun.

Roadtrip #1 - Niagara Fall

(In case the slideshow is going too fast, you can view the static photos at our picasaweb album.)