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With the lunar new year coming up in less than 3 weeks (?!! Who else is still on a post-christmas high or is it just me?), it’s time to start planning for the big reunion dinner, y’know, the one dinner that trumps all other dinners throughout the year.

If you’ve ever had to panic over a last-minute reservation, you probably already know that all the best restaurants will be booked solid for 除夕, so it’s not too early to have a few options in mind right about now.

We just had a sneak preview of the Chinese New Year set dinner at The Cathay Restaurant and behold, it was good. Very good indeed.

When I told my mom that we’d be doing a super early reunion dinner at The Cathay Restaurant, she remembered it to be the Cantonese restaurant that has been around for a really long time. I just didn’t know how long – it’s been around since 1940, way before my parents were even born. And it’s not just the heritage, these guys really know their Chinese cuisine, as is evident from the quality of the food.

The interior is both chic and modern, with little touches here and there to suggest a throwback to a different era.

Guess who enjoyed their dinner? These 3 munchkins, that’s who. How did they get this adorable?

The menu for the day was the Chinese New Year Affluent Set Menu, which came with 9 courses. I looked at each dish that was served and wept a little inside because they all looked so, so good. My normal, non-pregnant self would have been all over that but with my pregnancy hormones messing with my taste buds, I could only manage tiny sampling portions of each dish. Good enough, I guess.

At least, everyone else seemed to really enjoy the food.

Every proper reunion dinner has to start with a large, juicy pile of colourful vegetables, called Yu Sheng.

This particular plate of Abalone and Salmon “Lo Hei” Yu Sheng was topped with plates of beautifully fresh abalone and salmon, then sprinkled with golden crispy pieces and drizzled with sweet sauce that was just the right amount of sweet.

Braised Fish Maw Soup in Golden Broth

We’re in the no shark’s fin camp so they swapped out the usual shark’s fin soup for something equally delicious – a fish maw soup with chunks of fish maw and dried scallops bathed in a rich, golden broth.

Sauteed Fresh Scallop with Seasonal Vegetable

Who doesn’t love fresh, bouncy scallops? Not us, for sure. This dish of sauteed scallops with asparagus served in an edible basket was the perfect combination of fresh and light and crunchy.

Steamed Fillet of Sea Perch with Black Fungus and Lily Bud

I wasn’t sure what a sea perch was but it tasted remarkably like cod (my favourite fish!), both in texture and taste. It was steamed just right, and it was hands down, the favourite dish of the night for the kids.

Braised South African Abalone with Sea Cucumber, Dried Oyster and Black Moss in Truffle Oil

Ok, sea cucumber and dried oyster aren’t quite my thing but the abalone was enormous and extremely well-flavoured. My mom loved it though – I think this dish will probably be a hit with the parents or grandparents, basically anyone who’s of the um, slightly older generation.

Cathay Crispy Roasted Chicken

Can I just say that this is one tasty crispy chicken? Crispy on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside, exactly like how crispy chicken should be. And the little flakes on top? Divine.

Fried Glutinous Rice with Chinese Sausages

So you’re probably like “glutinous rice…meh” and this photo might not look like much but OMG this is a ridiculously delicious plate of glutinous rice. Every mouthful of this came with bits of tiny dried crispy shrimp, it basically stole the show for me. We were all pretty stuffed by the time we got to the glutinous rice but it’s the kind of dish that gives you reason to dig deep and find that spare stomach space.

Chilled Harsma with Coconut Jelly & Nian Gao

Desserts came in the form of nian gao (coated with peanut, shredded yam and sweet potato) and chilled harsma with coconut jelly. It was a brilliant way to end off an excellent dinner – just enough to hit that sweet spot.

Even in my nauseous, pregnant state, it was an amazing dinner with the folks. I can only imagine how good it could have been if my taste buds weren’t all wonky.

After all, reunion dinners are all about great food, great ambience, great company and lots of great conversation, all of which were present at our little advance reunion dinner gathering.

*Receive a $100 return dining voucher to The Cathay Restaurant when you quote “Mother, Inc.” with any order of the festive set menus from $888++ for 10 persons. Limited to the first 3 readers on a first-come, first served basis. 

Running a household with 3 kids, I’ve come to realize that what everyone says is true, it is the little things that matters the most.

I used to look at all the things I needed to sort out and attack the big things first, thinking that those were the most important. Stuff like the house, renovations, major baby gear. Those were all great but along the way, I would get somewhat swamped and a lot of the little things got overlooked.

When we first had Truett and so new to the whole baby game, we’d budget big for items like a fancy baby monitor and baby spa sessions (both of which eventually wasn’t used much) and whatever else left over was allocated to essential daily items like tissues and wipes.

These days, we understand better and budget accordingly for the important little things – like even the toilet tissues in my bathroom.

It may seem so small and insignificant but trust me, there’s no worse way to spoil your day than to start it off by using itchy, scratchy toilet paper in the morning. In contrast, having your toilet well stocked with pretty, plush, absorbent and super-soft toilet tissues makes your day seem extra bright and happy.

I swapped out our previous toilet tissues for the new Kleenex Aloe Vera toilet tissues last week and Kirsten, my connoisseur of all things soft and fluffy, immediately came running out from the toilet with her seal of approval, like “MOM!! The new paper inside the toilet is very nice ah?”

I was surprised that she even noticed but kids are surprisingly observant when it comes to the really important things. We often think that they’ve got things upside down because they focus on seemingly little things but I think the truth is that they’ve got things the right side up. Which makes it so fascinating to see the world through their eyes.

But back to the toilet tissues.

I love how Kleenex Aloe Vera toilet tissues are so absorbent and so incredibly soft at the same time because I’ve tried some soft ones that required like 6 folds for it to do the job. I mean, I don’t get single-ply toilet tissues. WHY DOES IT EVEN EXIST?? It’s like whoever made single-ply toilet tissues ripped off the other ply from a regular roll and rolled it back up as a prank.

Two-ply ones are functional but three-ply tissues, now we’re talking. And these Kleenex Aloe Vera ones know how to pamper the kids’ delicate skin. The tissues are also enriched with Aloe Vera extract to make it extra soothing and gentle on their bottom.

Taking care of the kids doesn’t just involve looking into the big things, which we do. It’s also in all the little insignificant things like bathroom time. We made it a point to bathe for the kids and clean them after a poop even though we’ve gotten a helper at home. Bathroom time, it’s our thing and the kids know it. We sing songs, play with bubbles and talk about their day in the bathroom. And we keep the bathroom stocked with quality essentials so they know that we take care of them with the best.

Baby Finn’s favourite activity – sorting toilet tissues for momma

We’re counting down the days till STGCC (Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention) this weekend and the kids are super stoked about it. If you haven’t heard, it’s basically Comic Con, Singapore style right here at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands. Happening in 2 days time, y’all!

For starters, there’s going to be the insane Ironman Hall of Armor showcase that we’ll be ogling at for extended periods. And by we, I mostly mean me.

Also, there will be Disney. Uh huh, D to the I-S-N-E-Y. My kids are not your normal level of Disney fans. We’re talking major overdose of Disney mania fanatics here. They are crazy, die-hard, passionate, hardcore Disney addicts. Granted, it’s probably my fault for spreading the Disney fever to them but seriously, Disney!! Who doesn’t love Disney?

It just so happens that there’s some extra magic Disney dust around these parts at the moment because we have an epic trip to Disney World coming up soonish. (55 days to be exact but who’s counting?!!) We originally wanted to keep it a secret from the kids until the day we were scheduled to leave but who am I kidding? There’s no way I would have managed to not spill the beans for 2 WHOLE MONTHS. We were so excited we pretty much told them the moment we booked the trip. There might also have been some screaming and jumping around involved. Ok, a lot.

In the midst of all the planning, we’ve been going through some old Disney photos and just looking at them makes my heart skip a beat. Like I said, we’ve got Disney on the brain.

But first, back to STGCC. Disney and Marvel will be having a booth to showcase the launch of Disney Infinity, a new video game universe that brings together all the popular characters from Walt Disney & Pixar Animation Studios – that means Mickey, Cinderella, Nemo, Mr Incredible, Lightning McQueen, Sulley and Ralph all in one game.

As both a gamer and a Disney fan, Disney Infinity sounds crazy fun. In addition to the main story adventure, we’ll also be able to collect characters, vehicles, upgrades and gadgets, which can be saved to a virtual “Toy Box.” And the items in this “Toy Box” can be used to create one-of-a-kind Disney adventures featuring any combination of characters, environments and items across all franchises. I foresee some quality time with my PS3 up ahead.

On a side note, up to this point, Kingdom Hearts is by far my favorite console game ever. The part where Sora had to say goodbye to his new friend Pooh over at the Hundred Acre Wood made me want to cry (in a good way). One of these days, when the kids are a little bigger, I’ll play the entire game all over again with them. That is, if I have time left over after I’m done with Disney Infinity.

Over at the same booth, Marvel fans will be able to get up close and personal with some of the biggest Marvel creators like C.B. Cebulski, Senior Vice President Marvel Studios/Disney and Cort Lane, Producer of Disney XD’s Ultimate Spider-Man and Vice President of Animation Development and Production for Marvel Entertainment. I hear they’ll be bringing along a preview of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and something from Thor. I hope it’s the hammer. Or Chris Hemsworth would be pretty cool too.

Aight, see you guys at STGCC this weekend.

*1-day tickets are retailing at $19 and the 2-day tickets are retailing at $25. There will be free admission for children under five on 31 August 2013, plus free admission for children 12 years old and below on 1 September 2013. 

Over the years, I’ve come across some really bizarre fertility tips. Not that I ever needed to use them because I’m a member of the “anyhowly touch also get pregnant” club. Most of the time, we’re trying to figure out how not to get pregnant because contraceptives? Um, ewww. If not for the fact that we’re considering having a fourth kid, one of us (ahem, not me) would be going for a vasectomy. In any case, that’s definitely happening after #4.

One time, when one of the husband’s colleagues heard that I was pregnant with Kirsten 4 months after Truett was born, she shouted “WAH, YOU ARE VERY FERTILE!” across the entire office. Followed by a very awkward silence all round.

But it’s something I’m very thankful for though. I’ve always wanted kids and I don’t know if I’d be able to cope with the agony of wanting a baby and not being able to have one. We have some very dear friends who have been trying for a baby for years without success and every time we talk about babies, I just want to give them a great big hug and send some baby magic their way.

On some level, fertility is not something most of us talk about. Partly because it’s so painful for those who are trying for kids and there isn’t very much we can say or do to make them feel better. Which is not to say that we shouldn’t talk about it, because when done in a sensitive way with much love and tact, sharing the right information can sometimes be helpful.

And I’m not talking about crazy myths like eating more oysters and bananas (although they are delicious). Or doing a handstand slash raising your legs in the air for 20 minutes after the sexytime (unless you want to work those abs, then go for it). Or drinking cough syrup before sex (one way train to woozy-town). Or go missionary instead of other slightly more creative positions (I shall not elaborate on this one). Or just relax and you’ll get pregnant. Honestly, if I was trying for a baby and someone gave me that kind of advice, that someone would have been popped in the face.

The good news is that there are several available and effective options for infertility treatment these days. In fact, modern fertility treatments have been proven to work really well. (YEAH SCIENCE!) The common misconceptions regarding fertility treatments is that it’s very expensive and ineffective but with subsidies and government co-funding (of up to 75% of the cost), it is now easier to seek medical help.

It can be a stressful process if you’re trying for a baby and it definitely helps to consult a healthcare professional plus get the right information on issues related to fertility at websites like Fertility Asia (supported by Merck Serono), where you’ll be able to get clear answers on common fertility questions and tips that might actually help.

And here’s sending some love your way.

One of the things I’m concerned about quite often is whether the kids are getting enough nutrition because I have 2 little picky eaters on my hands, each with their own set of strange preferences.

When they were younger, I had some pretty major food battles with the kids, mostly involving an impressive collection of vomit faces (and sometimes actual vomit) as I tried to make them eat food they thought were yucky. I tried every trick in the book like dangling incentives, withholding privileges, chopping up vegetables into tiny pieces and hiding them in food they like, cooking up all sorts of new recipes but they rarely worked.

Their quirks remained as quirky as ever.

Like Truett eats fish but only when he doesn’t see the skin. Kirsten, on the other hand, must have the skin with the fish. Kirsten eats broccoli but not cauliflower and certainly nothing green or with leaves. Truett does not touch any variety of vegetable unless it’s a potato (which is crispy and golden brown). Truett loves berries, grapefruits and oranges but not Kirsten. She goes for sweeter fruits like apples, durians and grapes. And the list goes on.

I used to have a chart to keep track of who was short of which vitamins because their picky diet wasn’t giving them all the nutrients that they needed, to the point where meal times were turning out to be a cause for tremendous stress for everyone involved.

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that some battles aren’t worth fighting so while we try to give them a diet that’s as balanced as possible, we also make up for whatever’s missing with supplements.

We’ve tried a rather large variety of supplements and discovered that the key to choosing a good kid’s supplement is a balance between nutrition and taste. In fact, I’d go with taste first over nutrition because it has to be something that they will actually want to put into their mouths. And then we look for something that has the right amount of vitamins and minerals they need.

The kids recently tried some new gummy supplements by UK healthcare brand, Merck Seven Seas and that was a definite winner in the taste department.

Usually we’ll have to bargain with them like if you eat this supplement, we’ll give you another regular gummy as a reward. Not with this though. They like it so much that these fruit gummies are a reward in itself. How’s that for killing two birds with one um, gummy?

Truett’s favorite flavor is the strawberry one and the great thing is that is comes with Vitamins A, C and B6, which he doesn’t get enough of from not eating vegetables. Kirsten prefers the blackcurrant version, but she’ll also take the orange one from time to time because it’s apparently “quite yummy”.

I like the fact that each flavor comes with a unique set of vitamins so instead of going for a generic multivitamin filled with stuff that the kids don’t really need, we can give them something that provides them with the specific nutrients that they’re short of.

In an ideal world, my kids would eat all their vegetables and we’d live happily ever after but in this world, my kids make vomit faces at vegetables. So I feel a lot better knowing that whatever they get from supplements help to keep their little growing bodies a little stronger and healthier.

If you’d like to try these tasty and nutritious vitamin gummies, I have 3 sets of Merck Seven Seas Kids Fruit Gummies Gift Packs (worth $38.70 each) up for grabs. All you have to do to take part is answer the following question.

“What are the 3 flavors available in the Seven Seas Kids Fruit Gummies range? “

Send your answer (along with your full name, NRIC, mobile number and email address) with the subject title “Mother Inc: Seven Seas Kids Fruit Gummies Contest” to merck.chc@merck.sg by 31 August 2013.

**From now to 31 December 2013, get $2 off every bottle of Merck Fruit Gummies purchased. While stocks last.