ice lolly makes a summer lovely

夏天不可能不吃雪糕或雪條吧？管它中醫怎麼說．．．

這個夏天，我們都吃了許多許多。買的、自製的．．．我最愛自製的朱古力奶味！

i can never resist having (and giving) a cool treat in the summer...



這個夏天，終於試了這個自製雪糕實驗！雪糕是做到了，但密實袋不夠密實，鹽走到雪糕裡去，於是我們第一次吃了好鹹的雪糕。

and we finally did this homemade ice-cream experiment! it was a half success and half failure. the ice-cream was set, only that the flavour was salty and not vanilla... thanks to the not-so-durable ziplock bags!



冰凍過後家裡有很多雪條棍，造就了這些副製成品。

and these hand-sewn ice lollies are by-products of our many icy treats...



這個夏天，小妮子也上了縫紉的第一課。

as for heather, she had her first sewing training this summer...

sew we sew

懶惰，很久沒拿起針線了。妹妹不喜髮飾，就連髮夾也沒做一隻。

一直想教靖愷縫紉，卻找不到安全又可用的針。看他做事一向小心翼翼的，也就給他試用普通的針。

給他示範了兩次，他居然就會了，原來只是我一直低估他的能力。

沒有刺到手指，竟然是一次也沒有。不過，如果他真的刺到了，下次也就知道怎麼保護自己。

他不算很有耐性，線一打了結就立即嚷著要我幫忙。不過，最終都完成了，從剪布、縫線、塞綿花，到封口。

so we sewed together, for the first time.

i had been searching for some children's needles but couldn't find any. so one day i just decided maybe we could just try the normal ones.

and to my surprise, he really handled it well, without hurting himself even once. he also managed to make it through the end, from cutting the felt to sewing it all up.

he couldn't wait to pick up his beloved toy cars again after finishing the project. but well, i never expected he would prefer sewing than playing cars. :P



左邊是我以前做的，右邊是他的（除"薯仔芽"外都是他做。噢，你應該認得是薯仔吧？）。第一次，我認為是算很不錯了。

the left was made by me, and his is on the right. hope you could recognise what it is. :P



他一直眉頭深鎖地縫，完成後立即去玩心愛的玩具車。以為他再也沒有興趣拿起針線了。怎料昨晚我應他要求在縫冰淇淋時，竟有人走過來要幫忙。

love letter

老師寄來你們班的相片CD，你收到關於你的郵件，多麼興奮。

靈機一觸，請爸爸為我們用鞋盒做了個郵箱，你還用貼紙把它裝飾得漂漂亮亮。接著，你開始剪剪貼貼，將一封一封信投進你的郵箱。

忽然，今天晚上R姐姐跟我說，上午你請她教你給我寫信。

打開你的郵箱，我看到的是 amy, rafael 和 love。

our family postbox (recycled from shoebox) and rafael's first love letter for me

10 months

十個月大的二三事：

• 頭髮長了不少，前額那些已幾乎刺到眼睛，我們都捨不得替你修。為你造了幾個髮夾，別上後你總好奇要抓下來。


• 從一開始你就喜歡固體食物。老師說，稀飯端出來後你就興奮得手舞足蹈。早上出門前我要忙著梳洗，給你幾塊麵包也一般可以讓你安坐好一陣子。


• 指頭還算靈活，小小的星星餅你也抓得起來放進口裡。 體能方面則要操練，連轉身也仍不會，醫生安慰我們你應該是做到的，只是在躲懶懶。


• 從農曆年病過後，晚上你就常要起來。我倒沒所謂，反正你還是過輕，那給你多吃點奶也好。只是你很易反胃，滿以為可以給你吃多點增些磅，到頭來你可能又會全吐出來。順其自然大概還是最好的吧？


• 你很會認人，下班回家後被你看到我，你總會投訴要我立刻過來抱抱；在育嬰園你又有偏愛的老師。你多了用哭來撒嬌，但仍是顆笑多於哭的開心果。不過你總是很含蓄，不易笑出聲來。老師說，最近才看到你多些表達自己的感情，聽到熟悉的兒歌就會表現興奮。

這天從櫃子裡找到四年多前手給哥哥做的織物，套在你身上竟剛好。哥哥的濕疹比你的嚴重多，從來沒有機會穿上。有第二個孩子的其中一樣好，大概就是可以把一齊懷念的事都從頭再來一遍？

i crocheted this baby set for rafael over 4 years ago before he was born, but he never got the chance to put them on because we're worried it might irritate his eczema-prone skin. this set suddenly came up to my mind the other day when it got warmer, and i was so excited to see it fitting heather so nicely.

one of the good things about having another child is probably being able to do all the little things you missed doing with your first child once over again?

last-minute handicrafts

聖誕節，終於扚起心肝拿起剪刀和縫線動手做。

it's been a long while since i made any crafts for the kids. i aimed high to make rafael a new car caddy and heather a new dress... but of course, as a lazy mom, i haven't even made through the fabric cutting yet.

luckily there are some last-minute projects that i can put together even during lunch time at work. whew!

felt gingerbread man cookies (no sewing, no baking!)


easy bow hairclips (minimal sewing)

handmade with love

七月三日裁的布



在八月十五日終於變成了裙子



趕及在你滿三個月前送給你



兩天前開始動工做，沒想像中的難，實際縫合時間大概只有一個小時，大部分時間在研究步驟說明。

要鳴謝媽媽的教導，還有靖愷、愷霖的忍耐和爸爸幫忙照顧孩子，讓我有空把它完成。

可以為孩子親手縫衣服，感覺真幸福。

i finally made it, my first handmade dress for little heather, in time for her three-month-old birthday which comes next week. it was actually easier than i expected, and i feel so lucky to be able to sew something for my child.

紙樣步驟可按這裡 pls click here for the pattern & instructions：Itty Bitty Baby Dress Pattern

sewing resolution

這才是我今年的母親節禮物 － 媽媽的衣車。

小時候媽媽為我縫了不少裙子，我立志也要為女兒親手至少縫一條。




趁放產假閒著，找媽媽給我速成班，這才想起中三以後好像沒有碰過衣車！在媽媽的協助下，縫了個小袋子。

又趁放產假去買了一些布料回來。告訴自己，產假完畢前，定要弄好一條裙子來！


my mother had made me clothes and dresses when i was small, and i really wanted to keep this sweet tradition by making clothes for my daughter too. so here's the sewing machine from my mother, a little pouch that i made with my tutor-mother's assistance, and some fabrics that i bought. hope i can finish at least one dress before my maternity leave ends!

handmade with love

一直不太喜歡靖愷學校那些頗有規範的勞作。

直至那天學校派來一疊手工紙，要爸爸和孩子親手做母親節卡。

爸爸一邊在罵幹麼有這麼一個勞作，一邊在翻出差時買回來的摺紙書；靖愷一邊在旁嗶呢吧啦，一邊乖乖聽從爸爸的指令；我一邊拿相機記錄這珍貴時刻，一邊心裡甜漏漏。

親愛的你們，謝謝！

還有，親愛的，週年快樂！

while daddy was complaining about the "mother's day card" assignment from school, and rafael busy listening to daddy's instructions, i captured these unforgettable moments celebrating their love and preserved them in my heart.

and happy anniversary, my dear.

matching sets

從沒想過要穿情侶裝。i've never thought about wearing matching sets with mac.

母女裝頭飾我倒是接受。but mother and daughter matching hair accessories are pretty acceptable to me. : P



靖愷是看到我做的母女裝嗎？那天他看到我帶著圍巾出門，竟然說他也要一塊兒用！

was it because rafael saw me making these matching accessories? the other day he asked to have a scarf too when he saw me wearing one.

spring blossom

春天來了，我們家開了朵大紅花。

spring is here and i decided to get a change and make something for our budding baby.



紅花的主人還在含苞待放，我唯有隨便找個模特兒來試戴看看。

since the barrette's owner is still in my tummy, i had to try it on with another model. :P



click here for the tutorial.

rafael's kitchen

在靖愷廚房裡，小廚師將平底鍋翻轉：媽媽，雞蛋仔呀！

in rafael's kitchen, our little chef said: look, i'm making egg puffs!



最愛每個週末在家享用小廚師精心炮製的美點。

是日早餐：冇味精數字通心粉 + 有（心）機薯仔＋甜豆＋似銅鑼燒的熱香餅＋香蕉

and i always love our chef's selection.

today's breakfast include: numbers pasta, potato, sweetpeas, dorayaki-like pancakes and bananas

playfood

自知包餃子的功夫不及爸爸，唯有整色整水花點心思博你歡心。

幾隻絨布餃子，你又煎又煮，將我和爸爸都餵飽。

i know i could never beat daddy's papa brand dumplings, so i had to work on something else to win rafael's affection. it actually only takes 5 minutes to make one of these felt replicas, and i'm hoping that they will last till rafael's little sister is big enough to play cooking together!

跟著手工書又做了一些玩具食物，haba售的很貴呢，師奶心態好像因此省了許多。:P

we only have a pretty limited playfood collection now - just dumplings, fried eggs, cheese, ham and carrot. have to motivate myself in making more in the weekends!

car caddy (and my new year resolution)

you all know how rafael likes to bring his cars out wherever he goes, so when i learnt about this project, i know it's the one craft that i wanted to make for him. i especially like it that the caddy is unique and not available in any shops at all, and that i can make a good use of a pair of my old jeans that almost went into the recycling box.

i don't know how to operate a sewing machine yet, so i had to sew everything by hand. i know my sewing/embroidery is lousy... but i guess our little buddy won't mind.

it took me about 1 week to finish the pouch, squeezing time here and there from not surfing the net during rafael's naps, going to bed later and getting up earlier, etc. it's definitely a great reminder for myself that i can finish a whole lot more if i make a more efficient use of my time. and that if i'm really determined to do one thing, i should be able do it.

the schoolbus tag i made last time has gone missing and i was a bit upset. i think i would weep if this caddy is gone.

花了好幾小時，縫了好多百針，終於做好了這個原本要用車縫的玩具車收納袋／玩具墊。我知道我縫得不夠好，但那才好讓人知道這是手縫的嘛。昨天在咖啡店還引來一位外籍男孩的羨慕目光。:P

我的愷愷，趁妹妹未出世，很想把握機會為你做更多呢。

不過放產假時，其實我希望可以有空鑽研車衣，聽說裙子不難縫呢！

爸爸常取笑我不會做飯，又連褲子都不敢讓我來改，要找奶奶代勞。哼，我就要做好給你看，你等著瞧好了。

button up

跟手工書的指示花了15分鐘做了個鈕扣釣魚遊戲給愷愷，希望小人兒會向自立再走前一步。

遊戲玩了一會兒已沒甚難度，今天回去就再做一個小鈕扣的版本！喂，以後唔該自己扣鈕啦！:P

it was a 15-minute buttoning craft that i learned from a handicraft book but hopefully another step towards independence for our boy.

the game is getting a bit too easy now. need to make a version with smaller buttons tonight!

my dear, so pls button up by yourself next time! :P

let's go fishing

小時候零用不多，學會了自己想辦法做自己喜愛的東西。

我喜歡haba的鐵盒小玩具，看到一盒索價百多元的磁石釣魚玩具，不捨得買，唯有像舊時動動腦筋。

從10元店買來魚類貼紙、磁石版和雪條棍，加上auntie sandy很久前送的磁石勾和小鐵盒，簡簡陋陋的就成了靖愷的釣魚玩具。

i told you we're frugal parents. i saw a cute magnetic fishing set from haba but i thought it's pretty simple so i decided to make my own version.

some fish stickers, a magnetic sheet, popsicle sticks, magnets, strings and a tin are all that you need. i know it's amateur, but it served the purpose.

釣到了！i caught one!

a little compensation

加班工作後晚了回家總是覺得虧欠了你，想設法補償。

那夜就為你縫了架絨布校巴，給你掛在書包上，讓你乘車上學時可以玩玩，也知道媽媽在陪著你。

中三後大概已沒有縫過這種針法，連忙看書參考。一下子，上家政課的記憶也就隨著針起針落勾起來了。

原來縫個掛飾就只需那一小時許，以後要為你多做些呢（但願不是為著加班而補償就好）。

one night i was so guilty that i came home late from work and i decided to make something for rafael as compensation, and that's how this little handmade toy for rafael came up.

picking up sewing is fun though, particularly when you are doing it for your really loved ones. i'm gonna make you some more, i promise, rafi.

"our" very hungry caterpillar

學阿四為靖愷縫了一條小毛蟲，為毛蟲故事加了件小小道具。雖說是縫，其實是將幾個現成手工包中的波波穿在一起，再縫一雙眼而已。噢，原來這條毛蟲今年已四十歲！

愷愷，再等一下，媽媽很快會再給你送上蟲繭和漂亮的蝴蝶。

"our" very hungry caterpillar

six tiny cotton balls
in your hands so small
so lively our caterpillar crawls
and brings laughter for us all

thumbs up!

rafael looks like he's caught in sucking his thumb in this pic, haha. don't worry little rafa, mommy and daddy don't mind you eating your fingers at all. we've actually been giving rafa pacifiers as well, but look like he love his thumbs and fingers more! are they sweeter, rafa?

what do you think of the pink toy rafael is holding in his left hand? it's actually my first handmade toy for him! i had been trying to find a rattle light enough for rafael to manage but couldn't find any, so i decided to make one for him out of a cloth and two bells. hope rafael likes mommy's work. :P