New thread for all Chinese mothers

[wyls]

I think this might work?!

Wyls - just checked out the babygoes2.com website and its fab! Thanks so much!

Snowmum, we are also looking to go to Italy but not sure which part of Italy yet. If you find anyting good then please let me know
I am sorry to hear about your DD, but they are like that, dont get me wrong, my DS will still get up sometimes, most of the time is his teeth or he needs to do a poo, basically there is always a reason. HAs your DD got any teeth yet? My DS 2 bottom ones have just come through. bless. Btw, what sort of food is your DD on at the mo? Solids with bits or not?

Snowmum and Wyls - am looking for holiday destinations myself but for Feb time. However, given that Italians love kids, I think villa in Tuscany could be good option. Can hire car for the week and do day trips - lots of beautiful little towns to see. Self-catering and if you love Italian food it is easy! Esp with antipasto stuff and plain ole' pasta. May/June time probably just nice too (not too hot). We went with a group of friends pre-baby and it was lovely. Isle of Capri/Amalfi Coast also gorgeous but maybe bit harder with baby. I've also heard that Sardinia is fantastic with lovely beaches - can again hire car and do the self-contained thing. Probably only drawback about Italy is that some of the town whilst quaint and cute might not be that good for pram (cobblestone footpaths and steps etc).

My relatives used to hire a cottage in France when my cousins were small and they recommended that. Not sure how the French are with kids thought (I read that French children are generally well-behaved and they expect the same of other children in public etc). Other drawback is smoking in restaurants etc.

Scandinavia and Germanic countries always v clean and efficient for some fresh outdoor activity! Or so I hear .....

BTW - we got our villa in Tuscany (incl flights and car hire) from a coy called simply travel. They cover various countries including Italy and have brochures which they can send. Was v. reasonable - for 5 people for 1 week was around £500pp for everything (excluding personal expenditure)! Another company was magic holidays or something like that - looked good as well but a bit more expensive ....

I've done Rome and Florence with then 17 month old DS and it was great - Italians love babies and the food's very agreeable too - plain pasta with bit of olive oil and most restaurants quite happy to do you something small for baby (ask for pastina en brodo or something like that which is baby pasta in a clear broth).

Did Sicily last July with both kids and again it was great but a bit hot. Sicily is relatively undeveloped on the tourist front. We did a half board package (cos it isn't a holiday for me if I have to get up and cook!) and the food, buffet-style was good and Italian.

I haven't got anything planned for CNY - as we're not going to my parents in Malaysia until July this year, I'm guessing that we're just going to some restaurant to eat. No big celebration!

Babies definitely like to keep you on your toes - just after I post a long moan about DD's inability to sleep thru, she sleeps a solid 12 hours! Boy, do I feel rested or what?

Wyls - we are thinking of Sardinia as our holiday destination. DD still hasn't cut any teeth yet but getting very hard gums! Solids are still very pureed. Decided to wait until she has some teeth before giving any lumps.

wow you guys are brave, we tend to holiday in the uk with the kiddies, partly because the in-laws organise it and also dh does not like the idea of flying with young ones, he thinks it would be too hard on them and being in the uk or med makes no difference to them now!

Regarding chinese actors, Tony Leung was a fave of mine too when I way young, funny to think of him in all those HK comedy/cop/kung fu series when he is now an acclaimed film actor. Also used to love Andy Lau. And does anyone remember a guy called Lai Ming - he was lovely!

Heybaby - where do you live?

Yingers - we live in NW London. Are you near? Saw Brokeback Mountain today at Everyman Scream (baby session). So sad! Recommend it but is a slower type of movie if you know what I mean... Cinematography quite beautiful - so nice to see blue skies again (even if they were just on film ...)

Snowmum - not sure if I mentioned this further down anywhere but we were thinking of Sardinia (in Feb) - not sure when you are going, but in Feb the lows are

just want to say that you can get some really good deals with lastminute.com.

also mumsnet has got some good suggestions with holiday too.

Planning to go to Sardinia in April or May so hopefully it will be reasonably warm. Not sure if brave or stupid to attempt overseas holiday at this stage!

Heybaby, I've heard about these special mother-and-baby cinema sessions. Would love to know more. Is there a website with details on when/where/what? Haven't been to movies for months and had resigned myself to years of dvds.

Not sure where you live but in NW London there is the Screen on the Hill (Weds 1215 baby session) at Belsize Park and then Everyman (Thurs 12pm baby session) at Hampstead. They both have websites if you do an internet search. There is a thread somewhere on mn where someone provided a link to cinemas with baby sessions all around London (might have even been the UK?) but can't remember where i saw it now! Sorry .... It might have been under "Movies"?

Hope this helps!

Here's my 2 pence worth - I reckon the younger the baby, the easier it is to travel. OK you have to take a pile of nappies or formula if you're not breastfeeding, but once you're actually there, you can rely on baby not moving or running around, hence only confined to pram, you can (usually) eat meals out in restaurants with baby sleeping (a good long walk to restaurant will normally send baby to sleep in pram).

Go, enjoy your holiday - it'll be great!

just a quick hi as i have not posted for awhile. can't believe we are talking about CNY again. i'm sure it wasn't that long ago when we did. hope everyone's fine and hello heybaby.

ds2 is unwell again with urinary tract infection. it has been a challenging week with trying to balance work and taking care of ds2 cos nursery won't take him and also ensuring that ds1 is not ignored with ds2 needing more attention. got to go and try and do some work now with ds2 asleep.

csa - are you working form home? Are your employers pretty flexible? Always meant to ask if you had reduced your hours going back this time round. I'm desperate to reduce mine and am planning to put in application around April for next September.

I live in west london!

friday 13th is proving to be a headache, had an electrician in today to fit some new lights and he discovered that my living room at the very least needs to be rewired as the wiring is so old there is not even an earth wire!!!! Alternatively he told me to take my lights back and get wooden/plastic ones. On the plus side he only charged me twenty pounds and put all my old lights back up!

My DS bought me the Lonely Planet Guide to Travelling with Children for Xmas (amazing that he could already internet shop at 2 m.o. ). It is ok - a lot of it common sense, however it does say that it is really good to travel whilst your kids are babies are you have a lot of control over where to go etc (not like they can run off anywhere!). It said that travelling with toddlers is the hardest (coz once mobile, watch out!) so to make the most of the "baby" years (or should that be year?).

BTW - do any of you guys ever meet up?

we are hoping to at some point but as yet have not done so............

I know I'm only quite new to the thread, but would love to have yum cha sometime!

What are everyone's plans for this new year??

(didnt i ask this last year!??!??! not sure what i'm doing yet as mum has not decided whether she is holding a get together ...

although brought the cutiest chinese jacket for DD2 (6-12mths) in the Monsoon sale - cant wait for her to wear it....

oooh Blossom - I think I might have bought that same jacket for DD too! Was trying to get the matching trousers but didn't have it in the right size in the 70% off sale - hazards of sale shopping!!! Is it the fuchsia velvet one with beautiful details?

I bought DD the cutest "Cheongsam"-like dress from Monsoon for last CNY too (again in the 70% off sale.

Bet there're loads of Chinese mothers who go in there in sale to pick up stuff for CNY as they've had quite a strong Oriental influence in the design the last couple of years.

hi rojak. yeah, can't fault my employers at all with their flexibility. although can't say i got much done at all yesterday (about 5 minutes?) so instead i am currently working to make up for it and looking at mumsnet once in awhile to preserve my sanity

no, full time at the moment and not likely to be asking for reduced hours. can't afford it unfortunately.

hi everyone, sounds quiet here at the moment!!

so, should be organise a meet up?? perhaps Dim Sum on a saturday (less busy than on sunday) some time in february. i'm free apart from the 18th as we've got friends coming to visit.

what dates is everyone else free?? are you still planning to visit the UK Pam on the 28th feb and i know yingers cant make it on the 28th...i'm volunteering to be organiser,

Hi Blossom - Pam here with name change - I'm in London from 18 - 20th Feb, not 28th - just checked hotel details.

Would love to meet for dim sum but probably won't make it in time for 18th depending on what time flight gets into London at.

I'm also looking for ideas to entertain 4 year old DS and 18 month old DD in London for the 2 - 3 days we're there.

We definitely want to do the London Eye nd we're staying near Kensington High Street and someone has recommended Natural History Museum (for dinosaurs).

Personally, I'd just want to shop the whole time but DS hates being dragged round shops so if you know of any good playgrounds near shops where I can park DH and the kids, that would be great!

csa - I'm looking at weighing up the savings on childcare against the loss of income before requesting my reduced hours.

i think you might be close to Kings Road - major shopping there for yourself & kids. there is even a Peter Jones (john lewis). lots of little posh shops !!!

you might also want to check out this restuarant www.thebluekangaroo.co.uk on the Kings Road which has a play area. it looks great but too far for me to travel to really.

also i think during that week, the National History is having lots of chinese activites to celebrate the chinese new year. come to think of it, we're going on the monday (with the friends that are visiting) !! might see you there...

Rojak - science musuem is a must, in the basement they have an area which is great for young kiddies and then the launch pad aimed at older ones!