Chinese New Year 2012

This year CNY marked the first time we had pre-CNY dinner in KL. I don’t call it reunion dinner, since it wasn’t with hubby’s, nor my family. The two girls and I had dinner with babysitter’s family – we were grounded in KL coz hubby had chicken pox, which started the day we made kuih kapit. So for the first time ever, no reunion dinner at hometown.

Making faces with babysitter's children

Anyhow, hubby decided to drive back to Kuantan on the first day, since most, if not all, of the blisters had crusted over, and he’s no longer highly contagious. It was a smooth drive back, and when we turned up at parents-in-law doorstep unannounced, they were delighted.

Our dinner spread 

With their cousins from Singapore

We didn’t go for our usual visitings but it was still way better than spending a really quiet CNY in KL, minus the festive atmosphere. We also had an early birthday celebration for MIL.

We went back to Ipoh on the fourth day, again amidst smooth traffic, and made a pit stop along Karak highway for some durians.  Not fantastic, and not cheap either.

Heaps of fireworks and sparklers awaited the girls in Ipoh, courtesy of their “official” annual fireworks supplier, their 大姨姨.

We returned to KL after breakfast on the sixth day, and escaped the traffic on the North-South Highway. After unloading our stuff, we headed to hubby’s friend’s office for a CNY lunch and lion dance.

We rounded off the CNY celebration with a family dinner on Chap Goh Mei, and let the kids finish off the remainder of the fireworks and sparklers at home. Time to open the girls’ angpows and bank the loot into their accounts.