2017 review

2017 passed by in a flash, didn't it! It doesn't seem too long ago that I was penning down my review for 2016 and in a twinkling of an eye, it was December already.... man.

Looking back at my resolutions set for 2017:

Resolutions for 2017:

1) Maintain silver for IPPT 

Result - I am guilty of not training for it. Or rightly, not training sufficiently for it. Knowing I fare worst at push ups, I only focused on training for push ups and nothing else. For previous years I used to train for sit ups, but this year I didn't cos I thought I'll scrap through (which I did); I ran twice (the first 2 months before IPPT, the other 2 days before, and the latter gave me leg muscle aches which didn't recuperate in time). Thus during my 2.4km run my pre-existing muscle aches were so bad I stopped to brisk walk a couple of times and it resulted in a miserable timing. But haha, the advantage of the revamped IPPT system is that the margin between silver and pass with incentive is very broad - I could even run 2 mins slower and still attain pass with incentive. Okay all in all, lessons learnt, I can no longer depend on weekly futsal sessions as stamina training, and I need to train in push ups and sit ups in future. Bah. Old liao :(

2) Travel!

Result - as compared to only once in 2016, we travelled significantly more in 2017! Penang, cruise, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and a few trips across the causeway. More about them in the month by month summary to follow.

3) Challenge myself at work

Result - did a little more in CCAs (Employment Engagement Survey, Futures Advance) but failed to grow as much as I would like to in the technical aspect. Projects were dull and mundane and learning opportunities were limited. 

4) More outdoor activities with family

Result - Went Pasir Ris park, Cafe Melba, Marina Barrage, Sunplaza Park, visits to the neighbourhood playground... Not bad ba? Otherwise it's really sian to head outdoors given that Singapore's weather is mostly >30 deg C, I mean, you can't expect us to lay out a mat at east coast park and have a picnic as and when we want? 

5) Contribute to society - 

Result - Yeap! More about that in 'May' summary.

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Highlights of 2017:

January

- Yx walks independently!

I bumped into my primary school classmate who shared that her daughter started walking only after they brought her to a huge grass patch in Perth. The theory was that in such an environment, they are less afraid of falling. One weekend we brought yx to UE Biz Hub where we allowed yx to roam the NTUC aisles and the outdoors. After that day yx began to walk independently, hurray!

- Penang

Quite a pre-CNY spontaneous trip with a family of 4, we stayed together in a beautiful Airbnb apartment overlooking the straits and Penang Bridge. It was fun yet not the most relaxing. Although we couldn't cover as many places as we wanted to it was good we had one another for company and if we need a reminder we're not suffering the worst as parents we could just look at the other family, haha.

February

A vacation we booked vvvv long ago finally arrived! We were excited from the sharing by my parents of the endless activities, places to explore and the 24/7 restaurants and cafes. Prior to this, wifey has never gone on a cruise before whereas my last and only was on Star Cruise in 2001. Royal Carribean Cruises, my parents said, is on a completely different level as Star Cruise. Indeed, despite having a baby in toll we enjoyed the time to ourselves and in our compact yet comfortable cabin room, and being pampered by the meticulous staff who took care of the finest details. 

April

- Work trip

Was I excited to embark on my first overseas work trip at my present job! And the destination was to the US, lagi excited! We didn't have a packed schedule and I really enjoyed the mini holiday in a familiar city. Of course, I love plane rides and a short transit at Narita made it more enjoyable.

Factory Acceptance Test

- Hong Kong vacation

Our Krisflyer miles was expiring so we redeemed 2 adult air tickets to HK. We covered many famous eateries and my personal highlight was the scenic trek along Dragon's Back Trail. Otherwise, we didn't have much to do in between and we found ourselves in a museum and queueing to get up The Peak (again)... -_-" 

May

My Ukulele AIG was losing steam with no new activities to look forward to. With only the intention to provide some company to elderly folk through music, I invited like-minded colleagues to join us and we received overwhelming response - on the actual day, we had a total of 5 AIGs (uke, balloon, zumba, baking/cooking, photography) comprising about 30 members creating a memorable day for the elderly at KC Happy Lodge! It was very well received and many residents urged us to make it an annual affair.

Little did I expect that my effort in coordinating and promoting this inaugural ground-up CSR initiative would see me receive a SPICE@Work Award (one of a few recipients) for modelling exemplary core values :)

July

Happy like a bird to receive news of my promotion! Numbers wise the pay jump isn't fantastic at all but any increment is welcome la, plus the promotion is a positive affirmation of my contribution at work.

At a biannual WCACEF it was a pleasure to be Liaison Officer to a guest from a very interesting country, so interesting I have to google again to get the name correctly - St. Kitts and Nevis. This was her first time here and I was proud to play part-time tour guide too. I was also LO to a guest from Laos, but he was so familiar with SG and his regional counterparts, most of the time he stuck to his kawan kawan and devised their own plans.

Celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary cum wifey's bday by having a local staycation and toured the area on foot and MRT, like tourists.

Some internationally recognised and preserved building at the back

The popular Man Man jap restaurant was a stone's throw away but when we got there next day around noon to find there was already a queue! Chanced upon a cosy book cafe and spent some time inside. Had lunch at Toa Payoh where a blogger I was following recently opened a stall selling her own recipe of halal prawn mee (which later turned out to be a hit and has appeared on media and everywhere). 

We also spent a staycation with wifey's family at Capella Sentosa Hotel, boy it was the most comfortable and beautiful room ever!

September

Yx turns 2:

October

Short getaway to Khao Yai and Bkk. 4d3n not enough leh. Haha. 

November

My parents went for their holiday so we brought yx for a staycation near Hello Kitty Town.

Okay la on the whole it's quite fun, the shows were good and it's more value for money if your kid likes exploring indoor playgrounds. But the stretch of F&B along Puteri Harbour makes it ideal for an affordable, stress-free staycation.

December

- My birthday 

Failed attempt at recording her wishing me 'happy bday', during our daily morning bonding otw to my parents' home

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Ending this review with a list of actionables and "resolutions" for 2018:

- Go for a family holiday
- Attain Silver for IPPT
- Create and update a master copy of all my insurance and investment plans
- Extract my remaining 2 wisdom tooth
- Bless Yx with a sibling, god willing.

Wish you all good health and a smooth sailing year. See you all next year!

2 weeks into school

Some progress updates on how Yx has been coping with school.

For the first week, parents and 1 caregiver were allowed to accompany the kids during class. After that, the kids were left on their own.

On the first "independent" day 8th Jan, we had expected Yx to wail a thunderstorm, so we asked nai nai to bring her to school (knowing that yx is less clingy to nai nai than to us). To our most unexpected surprise, she didn't drop a tear!!! She was in fact excited to start class and happily relating what she learnt in class at the end of the day! This was true on the second and third days, too. Yay this girl really enjoys school! My mom also feedback that only 1 or 2 other kids were sobbing, most have adapted quite well.

Alas, since Friday 12/1, Yx suddenly developed separation anxiety and would start crying while walking to the centre. She would cry, "yao4 hui2 jia1 (Want to go home)!" but Teacher said Yx would be okay once lessons started inside the play room.

I guess separation anxiety is normal... good thing is that Yx seems to enjoy the music and songs and I like that there is art & craft almost everyday (such as finger painting, fruit painting, pasting) which Yx rarely experiences at home. Kids below 3 are still doing parallel play i.e. yet to learn to socialize and play in groups, so I'm not too concerned at the moment, but it's good she is exposed to a class setup and mixing with other kids.

Yesterday, Yx was happily singing and clapping along to a song none of us have come across before:

Back: Ikea kitchen I finally laid my hands on, 2nd hand from Carousell $70

I made out the lyrics that sounded sth like "I need to wash my hands together", in the video my mom captured Yx was singing and walking in circles for at least 2 minutes! When I asked if she learnt that from school she nodded happily :) On top of this, she has also been humming a couple of songs to herself (Apple a day keeps the doctor away; Wind wind sugar baby). Okay so all in all, I think this playgroup has been beneficial for her.

I asked for some feedback from Teacher L, her replies below:

I would prefer Yx mixing with more English-literate kids, but that would mean disrupting her natural waking up time of 9am++...      >.<

Yx reports for school!

We psych-ed up yx for school as early as a few months ago, and today was the day! She woke up feeling excited that she was going to school!

It was only orientation today. We were pleasantly impressed that yx didn't feel uncomfortable nor appear uneasy at all, as compared to a few other kids who were wailing or clinging tightly to their parents. One even wailed throughout the 30 min orientation. Yx sat still throughout listening intently to Teacher L and browsed the bag and books included in the welcome pack. Even before we introduced ourselves, Teacher L recognised and called her name properly. On top of her warm outlook and a pleasant temperament, she has taught here since 2000 so we trust that she and her assistant will take good care of the kids. 

Parents are allowed to accompany their kids throughout the 2-hour class for as long as Teacher L feels the kids are ready. Over the next few days we'll see how yx copes to the new faces and change in her routine (#fingerscrossed)!

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Revelation:

National demographics (2017):

Chinese - 76%

Malay - 15%

Indians - 7.4%

HDB child-care:

Chinese - 13%

Malay - 6%

Indians - 80%

I don't mean any offence to any race and the latter stats are based purely on my interpretation of the make-up of yx's class. My parents mentioned this trend was true during my time, too. Which naturally leads to a question - where are all the Chinese kids??

A parent's love

There are some emotions one isn't even aware of, until one has become a parent. The emotions of overwhelming happiness when baby smiles at you; amazement when baby's gaze fixates on you; dejectedness when baby rejects you; disappointment and anger when kid defies or talks back at you; and perhaps the strongest emotion is that of love, when reunited with child/children at the end of the day, or when baby comes crying into your arms after a fall.

Since becoming a parent myself, I realised - I have become more aware and conscious of my own emotions. It's like my emotions have become magnified and whenever I'm with my family, especially with my daughter, every negative emotion is swept away. Joy, contentment, fulfillment and love fill my heart, and family has become ever more important in life than anything else. Since becoming a parent myself, I learnt that a parent's love for his/her child is unrivalled and beyond compare.

Which is why, this article is truly heart-wrenching and depressing for any parent to read:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/defying-odds-brain-cancer-dancer-gbm-glioblastoma-9821022

Every parent has their own way of parenting. No parenting style is the same, but the magnitude of their love for their child is. Looking back at my growing up years, I am reminded my parents were stern, fierce, very strict and unreasonable at times. But now, I feel regretful I reciprocated their love with rude stares, defiant talking back and passive rebellion, for when I was at that age, I didn't have the emotional capacity to understand their rationale behind what they did or what they said.

But now I do.

Xiuwen's wedding and X'mas family gathering 2017

We were astounded when we heard that Xiuwen's wedding was gonna be held on X'mas eve, so were we elated that everyone were available to attend!

Since it coincided with the long weekend we booked 2 nights at Avantgarde Hotel (excellent location, basic, nothing to shout about but clean and comfortable) near Sutera Mall. Had such a fabulous time mingling with Grandma, relatives and cousins and nieces and nephew, it was reminiscent of our trademark boisterous CNY gatherings which are hard to come by in recent years, now that some have started their own families and/or relocated. Thankful for technology, we are able to 'face-time' them and their real time presence was felt! :)

I'll let the photos do the talking!

Tradition since we were toddlers - Do-Re-Mi according to age

And when you're with the Ngs, you'll be sure to have your stomach always filled with

GOOD FOOD!

Breakfast for champs - been such a long time since I enjoyed a local breakfast like this...

Hand-peeled mee hoon kway

Hakka yong tau foo bursting with meat - only in Malaysia. Kopi was very good too!

Local kueh and pastries, sadly flavours we can't find in Sg...

Meng Meng Roasted Delights

 Their roast duck is 80% like Dian Xiao Er's; roast pork is decent but my vote goes to their melt-in-your-mouth fattylicious honey charred char siew!!! BEST CHAR SIEW EVER! We ate it on all 3 days!

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There was this moment, merely a few seconds at uncle's house, amidst all the boisterous chatting and laughing, when I paused and just took in all the sights and sounds.... and I concluded that this joyful extended family gathering was more fun because my paternal grandparents had 6 children, who went on to establish big families of their own, hence the many cousins that my siblings and I have. Twenty years later, with smaller families (lesser children) and larger distances apart, and varying priorities setting in, I wonder if our offsprings will ever have the blessed opportunity to enjoy being a part of a big family. Nevertheless, I'm really grateful and contented that at the moment we (and wyx) have a complete and happy nuclear family to come home to. :)

Khao Yai & BKK getaway (Nov 2017)

We are indeed blessed to have caring parents who agreed to care for wyx2 for 4d3n while wifey and I jet off to Smiley Land for a short getaway! It was quite a last minute decision and we were fortunate to secure round tickets via Tiger Airways (now merged under Scoot) @ $162 each.

We touched down Suvarnabhumi Airport and cleared customs about 11.15am. We immediately found our way to the car rental company booth (got ours from thairentacar) and after 30 mins of admin, we collected our Toyota Yaris! Next stop - Khao Yai!

A few weeks before, wifey and I were deciding where to head for a short holiday. We went HK early this year; tickets to Taiwan were too ex; so that left us with Bangkok (our most recent visit was in Dec 2014). However 4d3n seemed too long to just do shopping, eating and doing massage, so we decided to explore other cities. I vaguely recall seeing fb posts of "European town near Bangkok" and not long after did the place "Khao Yai" surface in our research.

Preview of drive route from Google map

Getting to Khao Yai would involve a 3-hour drive from BKK airport, and honestly that worried us (for BKK's traffic is notorious).  However upon more research our worries were allayed as many Sgreans assured the driving was smooth and getting to places via GPS was reliable. To illustrate, it was like driving along Malaysia's North-South Highway. And true enough. The local drivers were patient and generally gave way if you signalled your intention; highway was wide and smooth - we cruised at 100-120 km/h mostly. Wifey even took over the wheels for our drive back from Khao Yai to BKK, the drive is THAT lady driver friendly =P Petrol stations were aplenty (tip: you have to fill up the petrol tank before returning your rental car at the airport, and the nearest petrol station requires you to exit the highway. Make sure you key your desired destinations into your GPS on your way back to the airport).

Tip 2: Google map GPS is more reliable (and free) compared to the GPS provided by rental car companies.

Khao Yai boasts a National Park which has an accolade as UNESCO World Heritage site. On top of a National Park, the region of Khao Yai also has many attractions, some of which you will read later in this post. One of the attractions is the sunflower field. If you google for 'sunflower field near Khao Yai', this place will come up as one of the top few hits - Saraburi sunflower field. Apparently the sunflowers bloom from Nov-Feb only! So our first stop from BKK was that. About 1.5 hr drive later, we reached the destination! But alas, there weren't any fields that resembled sunflowers of any kind... :(

It was almost 1pm then. Hungry and disappointed, we continued our journey to Khao Yai. About half an hour later, suddenly in the middle of nowhere, sprouted a sunflower field with bright, yellow flowers waving eagerly in the wind! I would have missed it if I hadn't turned my head in that direction. Beautiful!!! The yellow petals were almost glistening in the sun.

The sunflowers were not 'manned' and we didn't need to pay entrance fees. We spent about 15 mins there and I took a quick relief amidst the nature (hehe), and we continued driving.

About 30 mins later, we stopped for lunch at:

The Witches Brew.

Opened by a British, the witch-themed place was decorated with witch hats, brooms, goblins, magic spells and sorts. There were also props you could pose with and take photos of, at no extra charge. Reviews said the food was good - while the fish n chips was decent, the rack of pork ribs wasn't impressive, and the best was the berry smoothie lol. It was 2 plus and we were the only customers then, we enjoyed the personalized albeit slow service.

After lunch we adjourned to check in. We finally reached our hotel at 3 plus - the amazing Atta Lakeside Resort! Check out the 1-bedroom suite (only S$180 per night!):

Private balcony overlooking the tranquil lake and mountains

Huge, clean space with living area and dry kitchen welcomes us

Comfortable bed and private balcony

Impressively large bathroom and wardrobe

And yes, the room comes with reliable and fast Wi-Fi!

Tip: We stayed at Block 3 and there was a huge raintree lookalike tree that obscured our view of the east. Once I woke up at 6am intending to catch the sunrise, but the raintree was in the way. Next time, ask for blocks 4-6 and/or a room on a higher floor.

Exhausted from starting the day early and the drive, we napped until 6 plus before deciding to head out for dinner. This time of the year, the days are shorter and it was already dark. We keyed 'Midwinter Green' into our GPS and got there in 20 mins.

Midwinter Green

I researched that there were live band performances at 7pm, but when we got there the place was rather quiet. We asked a couple of wait staff (whose extent of English was limited) and they seemed to suggest that either there was no live band on that particular day, or it was because that week coincided with their King's death anniversary and so - no celebrations or sorts. Anyway, the food prices were rather exorbitant by Thai standards, so we left for another highly rated place 10 mins down the road:

Lan+Lee+Lar

We liked the decor at Lan+Lee+Lar, decked with old-school items, toys, billboards and electronics. The open concept dining area consisted of a pond which reflected the fluorescent lights overhanging, adding to the warm ambience. There was an area which could accommodate a live band, but I guess we were there on a wrong day.

Deep fried fish and beer

We ordered deep fried fish for starters and White Tom Yum fish soup with tang hoon. They were DA BOMB! The deep fried fish was very fresh and very crispy and was the ideal accompaniment for beer. The Tom Yum soup was served with generous ingredients and cooked with spices so fresh, I could even smell the lemongrass with every sip. We requested for clear Tom Yum soup (no milk) that was spicy just at the right level for our liking. Needless to say, we devoured every single drop.

There are no late night activities in Khao Yai so we watched DVD borrowed from the hotel concierge in the comfort of our room.

Next morning -

Did I mention, the breakfast area and the lodges are some distance away, and the resort offers complimentary buggy services upon request? All we had to do was call in, and head down to street level, and the buggy would come by and drive us to the breakfast area.

Beautiful day! This street reminded me of Japan.

A beautiful thing about this resort (and perhaps the same can be said about Khao Yai) is that it is sparsely populated with buildings and people. While waiting for the buggy, we basked in the sun, breathed in the fresh, crisp air and basically soaked in the tranquility and peacefulness of the surroundings. There were no sounds of vehicles, machinery or people - just the rustling of leaves from the breeze, birds chirping and... and us.  The word 'Atta' actually represents 'soul' and Atta Lakeside Resort was purposefully designed with the intent that one can be isolated from the world for the soul to be rejuvenated.

The buggy got us to the breakfast area (which was just behind the concierge) in less than a minute. We were greeted by this scenery:

The pool looks SUPER INVITING, doesn't it!!!

Another view of the lake... mountain ridges in the background

Breakfast area was spacious, you could sit outdoors near the pool or indoors nearer the buffet spread. The food choices were aplenty, ranging from local food (green curry, pad thai, plain porridge etc) to western (salad, cornflakes, sausages, ham, baked beans). There was also live egg stations, fresh brew coffee machines and array of tropical fruits. We were supposed to start the day earlier but the breakfast was too luxurious and we're probably not exaggerating if we claim we could spend half a day there.

Good thing we have another night and breakfast at Atta Lakeside. We returned to our room, prepared and set off to explore the other attractions in Khao Yai. For your info, most of the attractions are within 10-20 mins drive so it is best you have your own rental car which you can zip around at your own convenience and timing.

Thames Valley

One could also stay at their rooms and enjoy the British themed garden.

View from outside... not guests so we couldn't venture further

Palio Village

Tuscan themed town with shops selling souvenirs, F&B (sorbet, smoothies) and clothes. This day coincided with the King's death anniversary and not all shops were open. But we were blessed with great weather ideal for beautiful photos:

We find that Palio Village is very well built befitting the Tuscan theme. Every corner and street and the cobbled roads were done up rather impressively and not slip shod.

For lunch, we drove to highly rated Krua Khao Yai:

Yes, Tom Yum soup again.

At 2pm Krua Khao Yai restaurant was swarming with locals! Their main stays are their smoked pork ribs and deep fried fish - but because we had such a full brekkie and there was only 2 of us, we wouldn't be able to finish them. We ordered tom yum soup (yassssss), green curry and stir fried shitake mushrooms. The former was good but paled in comparison to our dinner the night before; green curry was okay; our favourite was the stir fried mushrooms - very flavourful gravy and mushrooms done just nice and without that stale mushroom taste. I think I read somewhere that Khao Yai grows their own mushrooms. Oh, Krua Khao Yai has very good red tea too. We left at about 3pm and there was still a queue. Highly recommended place indeed.

The Chocolate Factory

The sun was quite scorching and we found comfort in the air-conditioned area of The Chocolate Factory. It is a good place to land souvenirs like biscuits, pastries, chocolates and even hand cream. They also serve sit-down meals.

As mentioned earlier, this day was the King's death anniversary and we were warned by the hotel concierge that all restaurants, even 7-11, would be closed by mid afternoon. We had simple dinner at the hotel restaurant... udon soup and fried noodles. Expensive and disappointing but filling and better than having cup noodles. Anyway, there is sumptuous breakfast to look forward to!

Woke up earlier this time to enjoy the sun and scenery... with coffee of course.

We checked out at 11am and made our way back to Bangkok city, first stopping by Primo Piazza.

Primo Piazza

Italian inspired architecture and lush greenery. Again we were blessed with great sun for beautiful photos:

And the highlight has to be animal feeding activity!

Cute alpacas! You could feed donkeys, horses and sheeps too. Very cute!

Spent about 45 mins in total and continued our drive south.

Both wifey and I felt that Khao Yai deserves more time. We would plan to visit these places the next time we come here - Chok Chai Farm (3-hour farm tour good for children), Hobbiton (Shire themed resort), GranMonte Vineyard, strawberry picking and the smoked pork ribs at Krua Khao Yai hahaha...

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We chose to return our rental car back at SUV Airport, though one could also return at their other outlets within the city. The return process was smooth and we found ourselves in the train towards the city in no time.

Checked into Amari Watergate Hotel. You should be no stranger to this place, if you have tailored/accompanied your partner to tailor clothes on your previous trips. They recently spruced up the lobby and it definitely looks more bright and welcoming! I chatted up the hotel staff (for he was Japanese!) and I think that was the reason he gave us a FREE room upgrade to a SUITE!

Sorry I don't have pictures to share but the room was so huge it was like a 4-room HDB apartment with frills like:
- Essential oil that greeted us
- 2 toilets
- 1 super King-sized bed in a humongous bedroom
- 3 tall windows facing 3 directions of the city
- Got dedicated living area, work desk, arm chair and huge wardrobe
- We were just hyperventilating being AWED by the sheer size!

We reluctantly dragged ourselves out of the atas room to explore the city. First stop - lunch!

Inter Restaurant

HIGHLY raved by my family (who patronized it recently) and also by online reviews, Inter is conveniently located (just opposite Siam Paragon) and is famous for its reasonably priced, consistent authentic local food... and queues. Good thing we arrived during off-peak hours, and we got a table after 15 mins.

Grandma fried rice, fried morning glory, deep fried chicken wings and Tom Yum soup (OF COURSE)

I loved EVERY DISH. Tasted so homecooked and perfectly delectable. Their Tom Yum soup was vvvvvvvvvvvv good, almost the same standard as Lan+Lee+Lar's. I finished every drop!! Tip: you can ask for top up of the soup at no extra charge! We were done with lunch at about 4pm and the queue was about 12-15 ppl.

After such a full lunch we just couldn't fit in dessert, even if it was After You Cafe (which was just opposite)! So we took the MTR to Terminal 21 for some pre-massage digestion aka shopping.

Later, we walked 10 mins to Health Land Asoke, whose building resembles a Japanese castle, a very impressive decor and certainly looks atas! But the massage packages are very affordable, we took 2-hr Thai massage for only 600B each. You can check out the reviews online for yourself, it was value for money but we left not very impressed and feel Lavana Spa (800B) offers more pampered service and facilities.

Night markets are the 'in' thing now in Bangkok (recall ArtBox was so popular in Sg?), and I chose to visit one near our hotel - New Rot Fai Ratchada Market.

It was Friday night and you bet the night market was bustling with activity and entertainment. There are more than 10 rows of stalls offering mani/pedi services, selling trendy clothes, handicraft, toys, bags, intertwined with F&B selling local zhichar, wanton noodles, cakes, sashimi (YES, OMG I CAN'T IMAGINE), deep fried crickets etc. I felt like I didn't want to end our last night on a not-so-satisfied stomach, so we grabbed a table and tucked into a salt-baked fish with beer:

Turned out to a very good decision cos the fish was very tender and moist, it was wifey's first bite of this food and despite being full she helped herself to more servings. The side dish of plain noodles looks uninviting but when paired with the tangy peanut dip, it is lovely. Down everything with ice cold bottled beer - and we are done for the night :)

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We spent about $1700 in all, a very reasonable amount for a very relaxing and memorable short trip. So  after 4 days we picked up yx at my parents' place, and this was what happened:

She heard me at the door and walked slowly towards me in small steps, looking down. Usually on weekdays when I go over after work, she would be running over excitedly and telling me what she was doing or wearing or looking at; but not this time. I could tell her eyes were beginning to swell and she didn't mutter a word, still looking down. I knelt down and she reached for a hug, finally letting go a whimper. Aww, this girl must have missed us deeply! True enough, we heard from my family that during the period we were away, yx would occasionally break into small cries and call out for us. We missed you too baby girl! :)