Red flowers

I would like to state from the outset that I hate the Lunar New Year. I hate the stress of running around. I hate the idea of meeting relatives that I don't really care for and don't really know my name (After 35 years, I still have relatives call me Sharon and call my brother Kelvin. Evidently, these are not our names). I hate feeling like I need to run a marathon to detox from all the rich food that I have consumed. And since the kids came about, I have worried about whether or not the kids are too tired and how to work the visiting in with their naps.

I was just reminiscing with Packrat that I had such wonderful memories of last New Year. But that was because I was in confinement with Muffin and the entire festive season revolved around me taking care of him, watching copious amounts of television and eating contraband. My nanny was away in Malaysia at the time.

What I have grown to enjoy in the last few years about the New Year and Christmas even has got to do with the aesthetic preparation of the festival. I'm big on decorating the house and making it feel festive. Even then, it isn't much. But it's the thought in my head that counts.

And strangely enough, I have begun to discover my mother in me as I am overcome with strange desires to indulge in the season's traditions.

The latest one had me hitting the nursery to buy plants. Plants. Something I've never tried to nurture at any point in my life. But about 2 weeks ago, I decided that I needed CNY plants. And I insisted on going to the nursery at night to buy said plants. Packrat looked at me with a look that said "Who are you and what have you done with my wife?" When we hit the nursery, the plant I chose made me gasp at the obvious revelation that I was my mother!

I grew up listening to her wax lyrical about hydrangeas. She loved them and taught me that I had to water them everyday or they would droop from the heat. And water them I did and gaze in amazement I did as they flowered pretty blue/white/ violet bunches of flowers.

Perhaps it was no surprise that I chose the hydrangea seeing that it was probably the only plant I had any idea how to take care of. I also decided to take the children back to buy another pot for my mother. Unsurprisingly, my mother was very gleeful especially since I had bought her a deep pink pot.










































Other than that, I'm obsessing over new bedsheets, which I don't have and new pyjamas for the kids which is once again a throwback to my childhood where I would don new pyjamas to sleep on CNY eve and I would barely be able to keep still because of the promise of candy and loot the next day.

What we shall try to teach the twins to do this year will be to present us oranges. Something we haven't done even though we've trained them like puppy dogs to do it for other people. It's high time we taught them a little bit about their culture and traditions.

And I do wonder how my mother would secretly pop up again!

Note to self: Self- check required before making fun of the mother again. I might be making fun of myself as well!


Technorati Tags: Lunar New Year, Traditions